School Context Matters: Learning Disabilities and U.S. Adolescent Support Choices from Latino-Majority Communities

There remains a paucity of research examining the support-seeking behaviors among Latino students specifically and adolescents of ethnic minority background more generally (Carlo & Guzman, 2009). While few investigations provide some evidence that Latino adolescents, especially those with a learning disability, are at greater risk to be socially isolated and overly self-reliant (Morrison, Laughlin, Smith, Ollansky, & Moore, 1992; Morrison, Laughlin, San Miguel, Smith, & Widaman, 1997), the literature is in need of updating. This exploratory study recruited 28 Latino male adolescents with and without a learning disability living in the Southwest region of the United States. Participants completed a social support choice questionnaire by selecting support options for managing various life stressors. Results from this study yielded contradictory results from previous explorations of Latino and learning disabilities support-seeking choices, with mostly no significant differences to report in terms of selecting among various social support network members.