Factors influencing the development of social competence in deaf and hard-of-hearing adolescents: An ecological approach

This exploratory study investigated four major ecological subsystems, the individual child, the home, peers, and school-related factors, that may be related to social competence in deaf and hard-of-hearing adolescents. Two dependent variables, the Inappropriate Assertive/Impulsive (IA/I) and the Appropriate Social Skills (ASS) from the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY, 1989), were used to assess social competence. Data were gathered from teachers and parents for 61 students, who ranged from 13 to 19 years of age and were average to above average in social competence. Primary findings revealed that the rate of in-class participation and the total number of close friends were significantly related to teacher ratings on the ASS. The FRI correlated significantly with the parent ratings on the IA/I and the ASS. Student school placement, when broadly categorized as mainstream versus residential, was not significantly related to either the teacher or parent ratings on the MESSY. Nevertheless, students who experienced increased levels of mainstreaming appeared to have better social competencies and more close friends. However, those with more deaf peers in class tended to participate in class more frequently