Promoting Social Interaction and Attention of Students with Disabilities through Interactive Groups

Academic learning and social skills are internalized through interactions and dialogue. However, students with disabilities have limitations at engaging in social interactions, affecting their educational experience. This case study analyses how a particular interactive learning environment, named Interactive Groups (IG), fosters quality interactions among students with disabilities. Five sessions of IG involving 20 students with disabilities in a special education setting were analysed. In total, 5831 interactions among the students were coded based on verbal and nonverbal communication. Besides, interviews with teachers and volunteers, and a focus group with students were conducted. Results show a high presence of attentional engagement towards the task, along with increased helping interactions. Benefits in terms of social skills and curricular development, fostering the acquisition of adaptative behaviours are identified.