Quality of life, adolescence and inclusive schools: comparing regular and special needs students

INTRODUCTION. The study of the quality of life in adolescence is a fairly new topic in scientific research; having wide implications on the development of educational practices. The pursuit of the educational inclusion requires a commitment from schools to higher participation and satisfaction of all students in their school life. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the perception of the quality of life that adolescent students have with and without special educational needs (SEN). METHOD. This research is a descriptive and exploratory study with a quantitative approach. The impact of personal and educational variables is analysed. The Questionnaire for the Evaluation of the Adolescents Students Quality of life (Gómez-Vela & Verdugo, 2009) was applied to a sample of 438 adolescents at ages between 12-19 in Galician schools (Spain). It assesses seven domains: emotional wellbeing, interpersonal relationships, personal development, physical wellbeing, inclusion (originally, it was referred to as integration/ presence in the community), material wellbeing, and self-determination. RESULTS. The results showed appropriate levels of quality of life in all adolescents. These being slightly lower for students with Intellectual Disability (ID) in the domains of self-determination and physical wellbeing, and students with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in physical wellbeing. Younger students, generally, achieved better results, especially in physical wellbeing and self-determination. These domains had lower scores in students of Special Educational Centers (SEC). Male students earned higher scores on emotional wellbeing and inclusion than female students. DISCUSSION. These findings suggest the presence of regular needs of students that require special care by schools, as well as specific needs that demand a response based on personalized support adapted to each student, especially students vulnerable to social and educative exclusion