Comparison of Criteria of Friendship and Making Friends in People with Down Syndrome Aged between 14 and 24 and Other Educable Mentally Retarded Groups

This study is aimed at comparing the criteria of friendship and making friends in people with Down syndrome aged between 14 and 24 and other educable mentally retarded groups in Vali-e Asr Rehabilitation Center of Tehran in 2009-2010. In this field research, the statistical population consists of all educable individuals who have Down syndrome and are mentally retarded aged between 14 and 24 in the above said center. 25 persons with Down syndrome and 25 educable mentally retarded people are selected using convenience sampling and are homogenized in terms of particulars such as age, sex, and social-economic class. A test containing 28 questions designed by the researcher is applied and four fields of leisure time, cooperation, positive and negative communicative features are evaluated. The two groups are compared and an independent T test is performed for statistical analysis. Results show that with a reliability of 95%, there is no significant difference between the two groups with regard to spending leisure time together, cooperation and negative communicative features. However, they are significantly different when it comes to positive communicative features, and criteria of friendship and making friends. In other words, people with Down syndrome had a better performance than other educable mentally retarded people in this regard. In centers and schools special for children with mental disability and Down syndrome, issues about education and career are more emphasized, whereas these children need social skills including friendship and making friends. Therefore, these centers are recommended to pay attention to the social skills as well as educational aspect