Attitudes of children and adolescents toward persons who are deaf, blind, paralyzed or intellectually disabled.

de Laat et al. (2013) asked Dutch high-school students how they felt about classmates who are deaf, blind, paralyzed, or have an intellectual disability. The team used a quick paper survey. Kids rated how much they agreed with statements like "I would sit next to this person."

Students liked deaf and blind peers best. They felt least positive about peers who were paralyzed or had an intellectual disability. Knowing someone with a disability, even a relative, made attitudes warmer. Older teens also scored higher than younger ones.

Alnahdi (2019) extends these findings to younger kids in Saudi Arabia. In that study, elementary students in inclusive classes viewed peers with intellectual disability far more favorably than students in separate classes. The pattern matches Stijn’s: contact improves attitudes.

Szumski et al. (2020) adds another layer. Using teens across several countries, they show that both personal moral identity and whole-class inclusive placement cut negative views. Stijn pointed to "knowing someone"; Grzegorz shows the classroom climate itself matters.

Gasser et al. (2013) looks at moral emotions. Swiss kids in inclusive rooms judged exclusion of disabled peers more harshly and showed more sympathy. Together the papers say: attitude gains come from both one-to-one familiarity and daily shared activities.

If you run social-skills groups or push-in sessions, pair students who rarely meet. Rotate seats so a peer with ASD or ID is not always on the edge. A short buddy system can shift ratings from "least positive" to neutral or better in a few weeks.