Article

Students with disabilities often face numerous challenges as they progress through their school years. In addition to disability-related challenges, they may encounter addi-tional difficulties such as bullying in school and lack of social acceptance by their peers. These difficulties have the potential to affect their self-esteem and, consequently, their willingness to take social risks in school and to apply for jobs in their adult lives. Disability is often seen as a nega-tive condition that is characterized by deficiency, dysfunc-tion, or disorder (Darrow, 2011, in press). Such perspectives contribute to disability as a social construct, and often to the marginalization of students with disabilities. It is important that students with disabilities develop compe-tence in skills that will promote their social success in school. Affective education during their school years ma