DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL SKILLS IN STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to provide educators with tools to develop social skills and emotional management in students with intellectual disability. In order to help them establish adequate interpersonal relationships in the classroom. The study was conducted from a qualitative approach, based on the school’s daily reality. Therefore, participatory action research was used to answer the demands that were identified through structured observation of 26 students with intellectual disability. The students are aged between 13 and 16 years old at “Escuela de Educacion Especial de San Jacinto”. The main results of this study are related to: the development of cognitive language which has an  important role in the students’ emotional expression, teachers do not possess specific tools or strategies in order to manage the emotional and behavior of the students, it is also,  necessary to encourage teamwork, cooperation and inclusion among students in the classroom.