Social Skills Training and Peer Acceptance of Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Inclusive Schools in Anambra State

This study examines the effects of a structured social skills training programme on peer acceptance of students with intellectual disabilities in inclusive secondary schools in Anambra State, South East Nigeria. Peer acceptance is a critical dimension of successful inclusion, yet students with intellectual disabilities frequently experience social rejection and isolation in mainstream classroom settings due to behavioural and communicative differences. The study employs a quasi-experimental pre-test post-test design, involving 80 students with intellectual disabilities and 240 typically developing peers from six inclusive secondary schools in Awka North and Onitsha South Local Government Areas. The social skills training programme was delivered over ten weeks by trained counsellors. The Peer Acceptance Scale and the Social Skills Rating System were used to assess outcomes. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Results show that students with intellectual disabilities who received social skills training achieved significantly higher post-intervention peer acceptance scores compared to the control group. Typically developing peers who participated in joint social skills activities reported more positive attitudes towards disability and greater willingness for social interaction. These findings support the value of structured social facilitation as a complement to academic inclusion. The Anambra State Ministry of Education is advised to mandate social skills training as a component of all inclusive education programmes and to provide resource teachers with specialised competency training in disability-inclusive social development. Keywords: social skills training, peer acceptance, intellectual disabilities, inclusive education, Anambra State.