Emotional and Social Competences in Students with Mild Intellectual Disability – Research Using TROS-KA Battery

Abstract

The authors of the article describe and analyze the possibilities of diagnosing emotional and social competences of students with mild intellectual disability (MID) to emphasize the importance of the non-cognitive sphere in offering comprehensive developmental support to this group of people with special educational needs (SEN). The aim of the article is to answer two research questions: 1. How well are emotional and social competences developed in students with mild intellectual disability at the age of 9–13? 2. To what extent is it possible to use the TROS-KA test battery to diagnose emotional and social functioning of students with mild intellectual disability? Research carried out with 71 respondents (34 – students with MID, 37 – students in the intellectual norm) using all tests in the TROS-KA battery (scale T, scale R, scale O, scale S and scale KA, KA(N), KA(R) - after performing relevant statistical calculations: nonparametric tests of statistical significance of differences between the groups - suggests that: (1) the level of emotional and social competences in students with MID is low and is statistically significantly lower than in students in the intellectual norm; (2) students with MID differ significantly in their development of emotional and social competences; (3) therapeutic and developmental activities aimed at developing emotional and social resources using the materials included in the TROS-KA package are effective (as evidenced by the double measurement of the KA scale at an interval of about 5 months); (4) taking an individualized approach to students during the TROS-KA test session allows the researcher to use this set of tests to supplement the functional diagnosis of students with MID with a diagnosis of their emotional and social sphere (additionally to the cognitive sphere). The authors recommend this approach as an indispensable starting point for designing comprehensive educational and therapeutic programs for this group of students.