SOCIAL SKILLS AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PARENTS' AND TEACHERS' REPORTS AND ITS CORRELATION WITH PARENTAL STRESS

The objective of this study was to examine the degree of agreement between teachers' and parent' reporting of social skills among children with moderate to severe intellectual disability, and to investigate whether there is a correlation between their reports and parental stress. The research participants included parents and teachers of 18 children with moderate to severe intellectual disability, ranging in age from 4.5 to 12.5 years who attend a special education school in Ra'anana, Israel. The parent who was the main caregiver for the child was asked to complete two questionnaires: the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) and a social skills questionnaire adapted from the Portage Assessment Scale, which was also filled out by the child's teacher. The general findings revealed a negative correlation between the level of the child's social skills (as reported by parents and teachers) and parental stress. Specifically, it was found that the lower the level of social skills, the higher the parents' level of stress. A significant difference emerged between parental and teachers' reports regarding children's social skills, with teachers reporting better social skills. A significant correlation emerged among larger discrepancies between teachers' and parents' reports of children's social skills and higher levels of parental stress. The research findings emphasize the importance of interventions that involve the child's family and views parents as active participants and collaborators. It is important to obtain information about the child's behavior from both parents and teachers as each experience the child in a different context, thus, perceiving the child's behavior differently. Information from multiple sources which reflects both teachers' and parents' perspectives will provide a more comprehensive picture of the child's functioning and needs.