The Effectiveness of Life Skills Training on Social Adjustment of Male Students with Intellectual Disability

In general, the problem of social adjustment of children can negatively affect their acceptance by community members. This study aimed to investigate the effect of life skills training on the social adjustment of male students with intellectual disability.

The study procedure was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population of this research included all male students with intellectual disability in Jahrom in the academic year of 2017-2018. The sample included thirty male students with intellectual disability who were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, fifteen persons in each. As the pre-test, the social adjustment scale of both groups was assessed by The Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (SAICA) before the intervention. The experimental group then participated in fifteen sessions of life skills training, while the control group did not. After the intervention as the post-test, the social adjustment of both groups was assessed by SAICA. Data were analyzed using one-way covariance analysis (ANCOVA) and Multivariate Covariance Analysis (MANCOVA). Data were analyzed using SPSS22.

The findings showed that the mean scores of the post-test of social adjustment in the experimental group, were significantly increased.(P<0.01) The results also showed that the mean post-test scores of subscales of social adjustment (school function, spare time function, peer relationships, and home behaviors) in the experimental group were significantly increased.(P<0.01) 

The findings indicated the effectiveness of life skills training on social adjustment of male students with intellectual disability. Therefore, it is suggested that life skills training workshops for children with intellectual disability for parents, teachers, trainers, psychologists, and workers who work with children with intellectual disability, be designed and organized.