Loneliness, peer acceptance, and family functioning of Chinese children with learning disabilities: Characteristics and relationships

Although children with learning disabilities are often considered to be a heterogeneous group, they are always situated in specific social surroundings such as schools and families with which they interact dynamically in everyday life. Therefore, peer acceptance and family functioning may be related to the loneliness experienced by children with learning disabilities. This study explores the characteristics of loneliness and peer acceptance among children with learning disabilities and discusses the relationships among loneliness, peer acceptance, and family functioning. The results indicate that children with learning disabilities reported higher degrees of loneliness, but lower levels of peer acceptance; significant correlations existed between peer acceptance and loneliness, and between peer acceptance and family functioning; however, no significant correlations were found between loneliness and family functioning.Although children with learning disabilities are often considered to be a heterogeneous group, they are always situated in specific social surroundings such as schools and families with which they interact dynamically in everyday life. Therefore, peer acceptance and family functioning may be related to the loneliness experienced by children with learning disabilities. This study explores the characteristics of loneliness and peer acceptance among children with learning disabilities and discusses the relationships among loneliness, peer acceptance, and family functioning. The results indicate that children with learning disabilities reported higher degrees of loneliness, but lower levels of peer acceptance; significant correlations existed between peer acceptance and loneliness, and between peer acceptance and family functioning; however, no significant correlations were found between loneliness and family functioning. (C) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc