The Perceptions and Attitudes of Peers towards Students with Special Needs as Reflected by Their Drawings and the Social Acceptance Scale

Abstract

Inclusive education processes, in which teachers, students and parents play an active role, serve an extremely important function in the adaptation of individuals with special needs to academic and social life. These educational processes serve the purpose of including individuals with special needs in the same learning environments with their peers. In this way, these individuals not only improve their skills more quickly, but also improve their social abilities through interaction with their peers, increasing their likelihood of being accepted by the society at large. It is critical for their peers to be aware of the needs of children with special needs and to approach them with this awareness so that inclusive education proves successful and individuals with special needs can have a better future. In this study, the perceptions of peers towards individuals with special needs were determined through their drawings, and their attitudes towards these individuals were revealed by means of the applied attitude scale. The 42 drawings obtained were examined and a total of five themes were generated, namely: help and friendship, success, exclusion, physical challenges, and hospital-rehabilitation center settings. Based on the pictures drawn by children who are developing typically and their answers on the scale, it can be concluded that they generally have a positive attitude towards their peers with special needs and they mostly do not see them as distinct from their other friends.

1. Introduction

When the word “include” is considered literally, it will quickly be apparent that it is the opposite of the word “exclude”. Inclusive education, in its broadest sense, refers to ensuring that children with all kinds of disadvantages receive education together with their peers. The most basic principle in this type of education is to ensure that all children have equal access to social, cultural and educational opportunities, like every person living in society. In this type of education, students receive education together with their peers, and classroom environments are arranged according to varying learning needs [1].

In Türkiye and Northern Cyprus, as in the rest of the world, children with special needs are integrated in formal education settings through inclusive practices. With this education model, attention is paid to ensure that children with special needs receive education together with their peers. It is known that the main purpose of inclusive education is to provide settings where children who are developing typically and individuals with special needs can benefit from identical educational opportunities and equality of opportunity between children can be ensured. In addition, inclusive environments are very critical for children, especially for those with special needs, to socialize and develop different skills together with their peers. Friendship relations can be considered among the most important factors supporting pedagogic development. Scientific studies conducted to date show that the friendships that children establish with their peers play very important roles for their social, emotional, and cognitive development. “Peer relationships, which are one of the factors that positively affect the social development of preschool children, begin around the age of three. Making friends at this age is essential for children” [2]. In her 2017 study, Yeliz Çelikten emphasized that friendship relationships play a very important role in the mental development of gifted children: “Social circles essentially affect the world-views and behaviors of children and young people in matters such as spending free time, games, being a sports team fan, music, acquiring habits, and sexual behavior. Based on these similar expressions and considering that peer groups serve as an peripheral factor, it can be argued that peer relationships are effective in shaping intelligence” [3]. Studies have shown that inclusion practices enable children to develop self-confidence, assume responsibility, obey rules, socialize, communicate with their peers, act in a group, and find examples in their typically developing peers [4]. Berrin Akman et al. reached similar findings and stated that inclusive education is extremely beneficial for the self-improvement of both children with special needs and teachers: “Inclusion has many benefits for children with special needs, children who are developing typically, and teachers alike. Inclusion is important in supporting the developmental areas of the children with special needs. I think it is especially beneficial for their social development. A normally developing child learns to empathize and respect differences, and the teachers find the chance to improve themselves. By means of inclusive education, teachers help children with special needs overcome their isolation from society so that they can develop socially. It is also beneficial for the children’s self-confidence” [5]. Safiye Kevser Kazak stated in her master’s thesis that inclusive education benefits all stakeholders, and that parents play a very important role in this type of education: “Another component of inclusive education is, naturally, parents, who make a significant contribution to educational experiences as they can better understand their children’s needs, interests, and abilities. They are able to recognize their child’s potential and develop proper expectations. With the experience of inclusiveness, anxiety and frustration give way to hope and trust, depending on time and development” [6].

Despite all these benefits of inclusive education, especially for children with special needs, one can hardly claim that these children are accepted at an ideal level by their peers today. It is observed that children with special needs remain in the background when playmates are chosen for games [7]. (Diamond, LeFurgy, & Blass, 1993) and that children with special needs have far fewer friends compared to their peers (Ayral et al., 2013) [8].

Çiğdem Kaymaz (2017) found that children who are developing typically are more likely to describe their friends with special needs as unintelligent, ugly, boring, cowardly, and poor. Kaymaz also stated that most of the typically developing children who have experiences with individuals with special needs describe them as ugly [9]. Beckman’s research shows that the frequency of interaction between children who are developing typically and their peers with special needs is much lower [10]. Perceptions and attitudes of children who are developing typically towards their friends with special needs are critical for the success of inclusive education in schools as well as for the social acceptance of students with special needs [11]. Receiving acceptance, approval and love from family, other individuals in the environment and especially from peers, is a critical factor in the development of self-esteem and self-confidence in children with special needs [12].

Better comprehension of peers’ perceptions and attitudes regarding children with special needs is extremely important for the efficiency of inclusive education and for children with special needs to be accepted by society more easily. Teachers’ understanding of children with special needs and children who are developing typically is essential for the development of relations between them, and gaining insight about their expectations will contribute to the overall success of inclusive education. As Bricker underlined, understanding children’s expressions indicating that they are aware of the special needs of their friends with disability and their social interaction styles with them is essential for a successful inclusion practice [13]. Data regarding perceptions and attitudes in respect of students with special needs will also help teachers determine suitable teaching techniques and choose appropriate intervention strategies during inclusive education.

One of the most important methods of integrating individuals with special needs into formal education processes is to improve relationships with people with special needs by developing positive peer attitudes and perceptions. Improving these relationships is primarily a matter of identifying negative perceptions and attitudes. After determining the negative perceptions and attitudes of typically developing children towards their peers with special needs, educational authorities, school administrators and teachers (and parents in some instances) can develop an action plan accordingly, which will clearly reveal what path to follow, and the relevant educational environments (both physical and legal) can also be organized accordingly. Therefore, for proper planning and organization, peer perceptions and attitudes must be clearly determined through research. It is believed that this study will serve this purpose through both its qualitative and quantitative dimensions.

In this context, the main purpose of this study is to reveal the perceptions and attitudes of children towards their friends with special needs based on their drawings and the social acceptance scale. To that end, answers to the following questions were sought in this article:

• What are the perceptions of children who are developing typically in regard to children with special needs?
• What are the attitudes of children who are developing typically in regard to children with special needs?

2. Literature Review

Our literature review on the perceptions and attitudes of peers towards students with special needs has revealed several studies on the subject. Some of the studies carried out are discussed below in the context of their relevance to this research.

Peer perceptions and attitudes have been examined at every level of education, starting from the pre-school period, as peer perceptions and attitudes directly affect and shape the entire lives of individuals with special needs. Regarding this issue, Tufan and Swadener conducted a study to obtain information about the beliefs, ideas, attitudes, and interaction styles of children who are developing typically in inclusive environments towards their peers with special needs. The authors created themes related to attitudes based on observation and interview data, and then grouped these themes under two headings: positive and negative views. The general finding from the study was that although the participating children stated they wanted to be friends with, play with, and help their peers with special needs, they tended to ignore or exclude them [14].

The study conducted by Arslantaş et al. aimed to determine the attitudes of secondary school students towards individuals with special needs in terms of selected variables and revealed that students’ attitudes towards individuals with special needs differ according to variables such as the location of the school where they study, gender, age, and the type of school [15].

The study conducted by Selimoğlu et al. examined the effects of information and interaction activities on the attitudes of typically developing students towards their peers with special needs. According to the results obtained in the study, informing normally developing students about the subject and interacting with their peers with special needs increases the social acceptance of children with special needs [16].

In her thesis study, Cincioğlu aimed to determine the perceptions of typically developing students towards inclusion of students during the process of participating in games. This author attempted to determine whether the variables affecting the perceptions of children who are developing typically differed in terms of gender, grade, whether or not they have an inclusion student in the class, and socioeconomic level; in the results, significant differences were found [17].

Başgül et al. evaluated the perceptions of typically developing children attending pre-school education about the inclusive student classmates through their drawings. Their aim was to measure parent and teacher perceptions about inclusion. In this study, it was determined that kindergarten students who had a classmate with special needs had a more accepting approach towards this student than those who did not. Another result obtained from the scale of views on inclusion is that parents of students in both types of classrooms generally have positive opinions, although they are worried about their children having a child with special needs as classmate [18].

In their study, Mutlu et al. investigated the perceptions of primary school students towards individuals with special needs. For this purpose, they asked 90 students from different classrooms in primary school to draw pictures depicting individuals with special needs. It was observed that as the grade level of the participants increased, so did the diversity in the types of disabilities of the individuals with special needs they described. For this purpose, the authors asked 90 primary school students in different classes to draw a picture depicting individuals with special needs. It was observed that the participants were able to view more varied deficiencies related to individuals with special needs at higher grade levels. In addition, it was found that the pictures depicting individuals with special needs together with individuals who are developing typically portrayed a relationship based on help or treatment. In these pictures, individuals with special needs were in friendship relations and playing games with an individual with special needs [19].

In their study, Demirel and Çiftçi aimed to examine the communication skills of nine- and ten-year-old children with special needs (dyslexia, mild mental retardation, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder) in the school environment through picture analysis. It was observed that children included communication organs in their drawings, depending on their special needs, as indicators of shyness, inadequacy, or communication problems in peer relationships. It was also determined that while expressing themselves by drawing, they exhibited motivation to create a barrier against their environment or avoid relationships. In addition, it was observed that children included their friends in the drawing during recess, but they depicted themselves at a farther distance from their peer group [20].

Determining perceptions and attitudes through various methods and arranging all aspects of educational environments accordingly also improves the social acceptance of children who are developing normally towards their peers with special needs. If peers do not accept individuals with special needs, another problem called peer bullying arises in schools. In his doctoral thesis, Cincioğlu studied peer bullying towards inclusive students. The author attempted to determine the factors affecting the bullying behavior towards students with special needs in inclusive classrooms. The results of this study showed that bullying is worse in the classrooms of teachers who show a negative attitude towards inclusion students compared to the classrooms of teachers who display a positive attitude. In addition, it was found that the school administration and teachers are generally indifferent to the problem of peer bullying and ignore its victims. For this reason, perceptions and attitudes towards individuals with special needs in schools should be determined, and positive attitudes and behaviors should be developed in cooperation with teachers, parents, schools and the educational authorities [21].

Yılmaz and Malkoç investigated teacher opinions regarding peer bullying committed by students who are developing typically towards students with intellectual disabilities in an inclusive classroom. The teachers who participated in the study stated that peer bullying was mostly attributable to the family characteristics and argued that students with intellectual disability were more exposed to all bullying types (physical, verbal, and social) and that the most common type was verbal bullying. The study emphasized that bullying was committed by all peers in the classroom, which shows the importance of identifying perceptions and attitudes of peers who are developing typically for successful inclusive education [22].

In their study, Ayasrah et al. (2023) aimed to analyze how children with ASD are socially accepted by their peers and obtained data through both observation and in-depth interviews. The study involved observing the activities in which autistic children’s peers participated. Accordingly, although the autistic students enjoyed social acceptability, they themselves tended to reject it. Another finding of the study was that the autistic children almost always sought help from their classmates to participate in social activities [23].

In her study, Binnur Y. Hacıibrahimoğlu (2022) aimed to reveal the behavioral intentions and perceptions of preschool children towards their peers with disability in their classrooms. In this sense, children with physical and mental disabilities and children with general development were selected as a sample, and “ability and behavioral intention scales” based on picture cards were applied to 144 preschool children. In the results, significant differences were identified between perceptions of children with physical and mental disabilities and children with general development in terms of behavioral intentions towards them [24].

In their study, Karaca and Toprak (2022) aimed to examine the social acceptance levels of students who develop typically in inclusive classrooms towards individuals with special needs in terms of certain variables based on the “Social Acceptance Scale”. The results of the study revealed that according to variables such as gender, father’s education level, grade level, presence of a person with a disability person among their relatives, and attendance at kindergarten and nursery in the past, there is a significant difference in the social acceptance levels of typically developing students compared to their peers with special needs [25].

Several other studies have been conducted on perceptions and attitudes. As seen above, the most common point of the relevant research is the need to determine the perceptions and attitudes of typically developing peers and devise an action plan accordingly.

3. Method

This study employs a mixed method. The perceptions and attitudes of 4th and 5th grade primary school students in regard to individuals with special needs are revealed through pictures and the social acceptance scale. In the mixed method, the relevant phenomenon is examined in both quantitative and qualitative dimensions.

In the qualitative dimension of the study an “art-based research approach” was used, while the quantitative dimension of the research was conducted using the descriptive survey model, which is a surveying arrangement applied to the entire population, or a group or sample taken from it. The purpose here is to reach a general judgment about the population consisting of a large number of elements [26].

3.1. Participants

Students who participated in the study were selected with the “criterion sampling” method, which involves studying situations that meet preset conditions. One of the criterion in the study is that the participants consist of children who are developing typically in inclusive education environments. Participants who met the criteria were selected from among 10- and 11-year-old male and female students in the 4th and 5th grades of an inclusive primary school. The reason for choosing this age group and grade level as a sample is that the relevant age groups are close to completing primary school and have higher ability to think in abstract terms than other subgroups. Care was taken to ensure that the participants of the study were volunteers, and since they were minors, information and participation consent forms were sent to their parents. In this context, the participants of the study consisted of a total of 42 students, 20 girls and 22 boys.

3.2. Data Collection

The data of the research, which was conducted to reveal the perceptions of students who are developing typically towards people with disabilities in inclusive environments, were gathered in September 2023 to determine the opinions of the students through the pictures they drew and the social acceptance scale. The data were collected in two sessions. The researchers determined the appropriate day and time by meeting with the school administration. On the selected day, the participating students were asked to draw some pictures. After this activity, a 20-min break was given, followed by the completion of the attitude scale.

The research was completed using a mixed method as the researchers believed that the feelings, opinions and perceptions of the participants could be understood more easily through this approach. Qualitative data for the study were obtained using the “art-based research approach”, a qualitative research techniques, while quantitative data were collected using the attitude scale. The art-based research approach helps to obtain information about the participants’ perspectives on the situation, their perception and world of emotions through their artistic expressions [27,28]. Based on the idea that children can reflect their emotional worlds more effectively by drawing, this approach was preferred, considering that it would allow the participants to reflect their perceptions of disability. However, in order for this measurement to be valid and reliable, it is necessary to pay attention to some processes. For example, to achieve this, the children’s drawing processes were closely monitored and their dispositions, attitudes and reactions were monitored. In addition, the readiness levels of the students while drawing the pictures were also carefully observed. During the data collection process, the students were first asked to draw a picture with the theme “can you draw the day of a person with disability?” After data collection, the students were interviewed about the pictures that were not fully comprehendible and what they drew in these pictures was clarified.

After collecting qualitative data with the art-based approach, to obtain the quantitative data, the student participants were asked to fill out the attitude scale reflecting their social acceptance towards individuals with special needs. For this purpose, the “Attitude Scale for Determining Social Acceptance”, originally developed by Siperstein (1980) and adapted into Turkish by Civelek [29], was chosen as the quantitative measurement tool of the study. The Social Acceptance Scale was prepared with 5-point Likert type responses to a total of 22 statements. An internal consistency test was applied by Civelek for the reliability study of the scale. According to the internal consistency results obtained through the reliability analysis, the Cronbach alpha value for the overall scale was found to be 0.89. In addition, the factor loads determined by factor analysis were found to be fit-for-purpose and the 22-item scale was applied without eliminating any questions from the scale. In light of these results, the scale was accepted to be highly reliable.

Before beginning, the students were informed by the researchers on how to fill out the form. The participants were asked to mark the answer they saw as most appropriate in response to the statements in the items presented with the Likert-type measurement tool. In order to ensure that students answered the data collection tools sincerely and accurately, they were assured that they did not have to write their names on the data collection tools, and it was emphasized that the information provided would be read only by the researchers so that the confidentiality of the study could be ensured.

3.3. Analysis of Data

In the study, the drawings and the data obtained through the social acceptance scale were analyzed separately. In the qualitative dimension of the study, the pictures were examined independently of each other. A researcher certified in the analysis of children’s drawings carefully evaluated the concepts and elements they contained and coded them one by one, revealing the relationships between all the codes and organizing themes based on similarities. In addition, the themes were classified among themselves, taking into account the shared and prominent elements in the drawings.

Generally speaking, the types of disabilities are very diverse. There are various types of disabilities, both mental and physical. However, the types of disabilities present in the school where the research was conducted are generally moderate intellectual disability, dyslexia, learning disability, moderate autism, and orthopedic disability. When students were asked about the types of disabilities, they mostly indicated mental disability, hearing and visual disability, and orthopedic disability. It was observed that the students considered not only individuals with physical disabilities but also different disability groups in the pictures they drew and in their answers to the questions in the social acceptance scale.

Following this process, the data obtained from the drawings were correlated and tables indicating frequency distributions were formed.

Next, the data acquired through the social acceptance scale, which constitutes the quantitative dimension of the study, were transferred to a computer, and SPSS 20.0 for Windows Evaluation version was used in the statistical analysis of the collected data.

3.4. Limitations of the Study

The study was limited to a total of 42 participants, 20 girls and 22 boys. Both the number of students and data collection tools were considered sufficient to obtain a valid result in this subject. However, the participants were limited to 4th and 5th graders, who considered old enough to answer the social acceptance scale and to draw satisfactory pictures. The same subject could be studied with students in higher age levels with different scales.

4. Findings

In the study, the “depiction of being a person with special needs” was evaluated by examining the pictures drawn by the participants. Next, the attitudes of these participants about children with special needs were measured through the attitude scale. In the findings section, the results of the analysis of drawings are reported. Then, the analysis of the attitudes obtained through the scale are presented. Themes were created by categorizing the findings reached based on the drawings according to the similarities and differences of the cases they described and their distinct messages. The themes were developed and interpreted by identifying the most frequent representations, and the themes listed in the table below were identified.

The themes revealed by peers through pictures were as follows (

Table 1. Frequencies and percentages of themes that emerged in the pictures.

Title of the Theme	Frequency	Percentage (%)
Success	3	7.14
Exclusion	4	9.52
Help and Friendship	8	19.04
Hospital/Rehabilitation Centers	9	21.42
Physical Challenges	18	42.85

): Success (3 pupils), Exclusion (4 pupils), Help and Friendship (8 pupils), Hospital/Rehabilitation Center Settings (9 pupils), and Physical Challenges (18 pupils).

• The “Success” Theme

The pictures categorized to this group describe cases related to the “success or achievement” of children with special needs. For example, in one picture, children with special needs are playing football (Figure 1) and winning trophies. One of the cup-winners is someone with one leg and a cane, the other is a child with one arm, and the third one is a child with a hearing aid in his ear. In the other picture included in this theme, a child with a hearing aid is riding on a swing in a school/park environment, while the other child, who is on crutches, probably a one-legged person with an intellectual disability (a circle is drawn around his head), manages to enter the school on his own. In another picture within the scope of this theme, it is seen that a child with disability participating in the swimming competition won the first place (Figure 1). In all of these pictures, children are depicted as joyful.

• The “Exclusion” Theme

In the drawings categorized under this theme, individuals with special needs are depicted as excluded. In the first picture, an outdoor space between apartment buildings is described. A student with an orthopedic impairment playing football in this field is surrounded by three children who are developing typically, taking a picture of the child and laughing while looking at his photo on their phones. Phrases such as “disabled, incompetent and stupid”, “ugly”, and “let’s make fun of him” are written on their phone screens, and the child with special needs is crying. At the top of the picture it reads, “we should try to remove obstacles, not to entrench them”. In other words, the child who drew the picture is actually criticizing this situation by depicting the exclusion of children with special needs. In the second picture in this theme, two children are playing football. A one-armed sad-looking special needs child says, “take me into the game”, whereas the others answer, “no, you cannot play”. In the third picture of this theme, a child with a visual impairment child (his eyes are covered and painted with a jet-black square) says “I wish I could see”.

A child with a broken arm (but not with special needs) is shown comforting this child by saying, “don’t worry, I love you”. However, there are two different characters in the picture who say “we don’t like this blind child” and state that they are going to leave the place. Although these two children invite the child standing next to the child with disability, he prefers to stay with the child with special needs. In the fourth picture of the theme, there are five children in the park, one of whom (the child with a walker) has an orthopedic disability and is pointed and laughed at by other children (Figure 2). The child becomes upset and cries.

When we examine the pictures about exclusion, we see that the excluded children are depicted with sad facial expressions. In addition, there are studies in the literature indicating the sadness of excluded children [30,31,32,33,34].

• The “Help and Friendship” Theme

The help and friendship theme is related to the companionships established with individuals with special needs and the assistance provided to them. For example, in the first picture, the child with a visual impairment is upset because he cannot enter the apartment block and says, “I wish there was an elevator or ramp”. The typically developing person shown in the picture is upset about this situation and helps him. On the right side of the picture, a student with an orthopedic impairment (he is in a wheelchair) is trying to cross the street with the help of a guide dog. In the second picture of the theme, a girl with an orthopedic impairment (she is also in a wheelchair) is crying and asking for help on the top of the stairs inside the building, and someone helps her. Similarly, in the seventh picture, someone helps an individual with special needs to climb the stairs. In the third picture, people helping a student with an orthopedic impairment in different places such as hospitals, restaurants, markets, and parking lots are portrayed. In the fourth picture, three different places are described. In the first scene, a student with an orthopedic impairment is trying to cross the street with a parawalker and someone is helping him. In another scene, a person with aphasia is speaking, but the other person complains, “I don’t understand” and takes the special needs person to the police for help. In another scene, the police officer holds a culprit who was threatening a girl with a visual impairment. In the fifth picture, a person in a wheelchair waiting in front of the ramp to enter the building asks for help, and one person says “I don’t care” and refuses to help, whereas the other one says, “of course, I’ll help you,” and carries him off the ramp. There is also a note in the picture that reads: “always help people with disabilities, do not underestimate them, do not look down on them” (Figure 3).

In the sixth picture, a student with an orthopedic impairment cannot reach the item at the top shelf of a store and a person helps her to take it. In the second part of the picture, that person asks where her house is and offers to drop her off. In the eighth picture, next to a girl sitting happily in the wheelchair, another girl who wants to play ball with her is described. The caption at the top of the picture reads “don’t be a bully”.

• The “Hospital/Rehabilitation Center Settings” Theme:

In this theme, individuals with special needs (especially students with an orthopedic impairment and wheelchair users) are in hospital or rehabilitation center settings and are unhappy with this situation. In the seven pictures in this theme, there are seven children with orthopedic disabilities with several children in wheelchairs, two children with visual impairments, and one child with a hearing impairment. Many of these children are not pleased to be in a hospital setting. For example, the second picture depicts a child in a wheelchair in the hospital with a sad face (Figure 4). In another picture (6th picture), the child in a wheelchair at the hospital sadly watches other children with special needs playing outside. The other two children with visual impairments and holding white canes who are playing football in the hospital garden (It’s written “deaf” on the picture) are also unhappy.

In the fourth picture, there is a sign that reads “Home for the Disabled” where four children are playing games. One of them has a visual impairment, another has a speech-disorder (the word “mute” is written on the picture), and two are have orthopedic disabilities, one of whom is in a wheelchair and the other is on crutches.

• The “Physical Challenges” Theme:

In this theme, the physical challenges faced by special needs people are described. For example, in the first picture, which is divided into four sections, the challenges faced by people with different types of disabilities are depicted in each square: a woman with a visual impairment who needs help crossing the street and a child helping her, a child who is not allowed into taxis and buses because he has an orthopedic disability, and children who cannot understand their class because they are unable to hear (Figure 5).

The second picture depicts a heartbroken child in a wheelchair who cannot get on the bus and is left at the bus stop. In the third and fourth pictures, special needs people are watching children playing football/basketball unhappily from their spot.

In the ninth picture, a detailed description of living spaces suitable and unsuitable for individuals with special needs is provided. Here, children who are developing typically sit at the table and eat comfortably, cross the pedestrian crossing independently, and play happily without obstacles in the school playground. Seeing all this, a special needs person says, “I wish I could sit in a normal chair like the others” while eating at a table.

In other pictures, special needs children are depicted in the following situations: having difficulty cooking at home, looking for a special needs parking lot in front of the store, suffering extreme hardship in reaching the top shelves in the supermarket, entering a shopping mall, and crossing the street.

Students who revealed their perceptions of their friends with special needs through pictures were later given the attitude scale, which was adapted to Turkish by Ali Civelek [29], so that their attitudes towards their peers with special needs could be determined. At the end of the process, the data were tabulated and analyzed.

As shown in

Table 2. The attitudes of peers towards individuals with disabilities.

Items	Yes		I Think Yes		Neither Yes nor No		I Think No		No		Total
	f	%	f	%	f	%	f	%	f	%	f	%
On the days they missed classes, I would tell them about their homework.	24	57.14	4	9.52	3	7.14	6	14.28	5	11.90	42	100
When we were in a row, I would stand next to them.	21	50	5	11.90	2	4.76	7	16.66	7	16.66	42	100
I would play with them after school.	18	42.85	4	9.52	7	16.66	3	7.14	10	23.80	42	100
I would lend them my pencil or pen.	28	66.66	2	4.76	5	11.90	2	4.76	5	11.90	42	100
I would help them solve math problems.	22	52.38	1	2.38	3	7.14	5	11.90	11	26.19	42	100
I would protect them if other kids made fun of them.	26	61.90	3	7.14	1	2.38	4	9.52	8	19.04	42	100
I would talk to them during free time in class.	30	71.42	1	2.38	2	4.76	2	4.76	7	16.66	42	100
I would invite them to my house.	21	50	1	2.38	1	2.38	6	14.28	13	30.95	42	100
I would sit next to them in class.	32	76.19	2	4.76	0	0	5	11.90	3	7.14	42	100
In my free time at school, I would play with them.	21	50	1	2.38	1	2.38	6	14.28	13	30.95	42	100
In class, I would share with them a secret that only a few kids knew.	17	40.47	4	9.52	0	0	2	4.76	19	45.23	42	100
I would approach them and say “hello”.	34	80.95	2	4.76	0	0	2	4.76	4	9.52	42	100
I would share some of my food with them.	27	64.28	3	7.14	2	4.76	1	2.38	9	21.42	42	100
On school trips, I would sit next to them on the bus.	33	78.57	2	4.76	1	2.38	1	2.38	5	11.90	42	100
I would sometimes call them from my home phone.	19	45.23	3	7.14	4	9.52	3	7.14	13	30.95	42	100
I would take their side even when they did something wrong.	11	26.19	5	11.90	3	7.14	7	16.66	16	38.09	42	100
I would them him about myself (I would talk about myself).	29	69.04	4	9.52	1	2.38	5	11.90	3	7.14	42	100
I would help them with shared classwork.	32	76.19	1	2.38	2	4.76	3	7.14	4	9.52	42	100
I would praise them for the things they were successful at.	27	64.28	1	2.38	2	4.76	7	16.66	5	11.90	42	100
I would introduce them to my friends.	30	71.42	3	7.14	1	2.38	3	7.14	5	11.90	42	100
When we played paired games, I would choose them as my partner.	16	38.09	2	4.76	1	2.38	6	14.28	17	40.47	42	100
I would tell him some things about myself that I had never told anyone before.	19	45.23	3	7.14	0	0	5	11.90	15	35.71	42	100

, a significant portion of the participants expressed that they would tell their homework to their special needs friends when they missed a class. It has been observed that many of these children prefer to be near their special needs friends, lend them their pencils and pens, and help them solve mathematical problems. One impressive finding in the scale was that children generally prefer to talk to their special needs peers. A total of 30 students stated that they preferred to talk to their special needs friends, and 34 students stated that they greeted them. In addition, 17 students stated that they shared their secrets with their special needs friends that only a few people knew, and 19 students stated that they told their special needs friends their secrets that no one else knew about.

As can be seen in Table 2, It is remarkable that 42.85% of the students stated in the attitude scale that they play games with their special needs friends after school. In addition, 50% of the students said that they play with their special needs friends in their free time at school. On the other hand, according to the attitude scale, 40.47% of the students stated that they never choose their special needs friends as playmates.

As shown in Table 2, 50% of the students confidently stated that they invited their special needs friends to their house, and 45.23% specified that they called their special needs friends from their home phones. When students’ responses to the items on the scale are carefully examined, it can be seen that peers receiving education in inclusive classes generally have a positive attitude towards their special needs friends and have overcome some prejudices that are evident in the society at large.

5. Conclusions and Discussion

This study, which attempted to reveal the perceptions and attitudes of students in inclusive classes towards their peers with special needs, exhibits important and interesting results for the field. The pictures drawn by a total of 42 students were classified under five main themes: Success, Exclusion, Help and Friendship, Hospital/Rehabilitation Center Settings, and Physical Challenges. When the pictures within the respective themes are carefully examined, it can be seen that children are generally aware of most difficulties experienced by their special needs friends. While 42.85% of the students emphasized these problems in drawings categorized under the theme of “Physical Challenges”, 21.42% of the students depicted the difficulties experienced by special needs individuals specifically in the hospitals or rehabilitation centers in drawings with a “Hospital/Rehabilitation Center Settings” theme. In addition, 19.04% of the students indirectly addressed these difficulties, with drawings categorized under the theme of “Help and Friendship” and emphasized that individuals with special needs should be offered assistance. In 22 pictures depicting indoor spaces, special needs children are identified with places such as hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and homes/schools for children with special needs. In these places, individuals with special needs are generally depicted as unhappy, sick, and sad. These pictures show special needs children in a depressed mode watching children who are developing typically outside the window because their access is restricted. When all these drawings are analyzed, it can be argued that most children are aware of the difficulties experienced by their special needs friends and are upset by this situation. In the 42 pictures, 27 wheelchair users, 5 children with crutches or amputations, 6 children with visual impairments, 2 children with speech impairments, 3 children with hearing impairments, and 1 child with intellectual disability were depicted.

Considering the responses of the peers to the attitude scale, it can be argued that they generally accept their special needs friends. Damla Özdemir stated in her study that students with learning disabilities enjoy high level of acceptance from their peers [35].

If the requirements of special needs children are recognized and attended to at an early stage, their development levels in all areas will improve and their adaptation process to the society will accelerate. Tufan and Yıldırım discuss this issue in their study. According to these authors, practices such as early intervention, instructional adaptation, and inclusion for special needs children in the pre-school period will maximize their development in all areas. These authors also emphasize that instructional adaptations are essential to ensure that these children receive education on equal terms with children who are typically developing [4]. Recep Atıcı agrees with Tufan and Yıldırım and underlines that special needs children can establish relationships with their peers and even participate in social activities if they are educated in regular classrooms [36]. Research shows that the acceptability level is higher, especially among primary school children who have not reached adolescence. Çolak, Vural and Uzuner also emphasize this aspect in their study and argue that serious problems emerge in terms of acceptance during adolescence [37].

Similarly, Çiğdem Kaymaz (2017) claims in her study that although their views are not stable, children who are typically developing are more likely to characterize their friends with special needs as unintelligent, ugly, boring, cowardly, and pitiful, which reflects an exclusionary attitude [9].

As for the “success” theme, peers depicted special needs children as winners of paralympic swimming and football competitions in school environments. Drawing children with special needs as achievers represents another positive attitude developed by their peers. In addition, one of the most remarkable aspects of the attitude scale results is that, compared to other items, the answers given in regard to playing games is at a lower level. The attitude scale showed that the proportion of children who chose their special needs friends as playmates in paired games remained at 38.09%, while 50% of children played games with their special needs friends in their free time at school and 42.85% played games with them after school. According to Karadağ et al., especially in games that require attention, peers do not include their special needs friends because they see them as inadequate [38]. Hakan Sarı and Tuğba Pürsün found that a student who had aphasia was excluded from games by his friends because he was unable to express himself [39]. The exclusion of students with special needs by their peers is a major obstacle to living a happy life in the future. As Çiğdem Kaymaz stated in her thesis, the most disturbing behavior for students with special needs is being teased by their typically developing peers [9].

The dominant colors in the drawings related to exclusion, physical challenges and hospital/rehabilitation centers were black, grey, brown and some earth tones. Among these stable colors, black and gray were most widely used in drawings related to exclusion, while brown and earth tones were used to depict the indoor areas. In the themes of help/friendship and success, light and vibrant colors such as yellow, orange, green and pink were used, which symbolize hope and happiness. Peers often depicted individuals with special needs as a student with an orthopedic impairment who has difficulties in every medium and are looking for help; they also expressed in their pictures that the difficulties they experience could be easily overcome with the help of others. Yaşaran, Batu and Özen underlined that inclusion practices are critical in helping peers understand individuals with special needs and realize the difficulties they experience. These authors stated that inclusion practices enable peers to gain knowledge about how to help their special needs friends [40].

Peer groups are extremely important for the socialization of children and their general success in life. Children who are accepted and appreciated by their peers see their self-esteem and self-confidence improved. Similarly, Çelikten emphasized in her article that friendships within peer groups play critical roles. The author pointed out that being wanted, liked, and accepted by friends is an important pre-condition for self-esteem to develop [3].

In this context, based on the pictures drawn and the answers given to the attitude scale, it can be claimed that the perceptions and attitudes of the fourth and fifth grade primary school students who participated in the study towards their special needs friends are highly positive, which can be attributed to the role played by inclusive education at their school.

6. Recommendations

In order to develop the perceptions and attitudes of students towards their special needs friends in a more positive direction, first of all, the curricula of Turkish language and social studies courses should be revised to include more texts that can convey to children the physical, social, and emotional circumstances of special needs individuals.

In addition, since inclusive education is provided only in some primary schools in Northern Cyprus, inclusion practices need to be extended to all school levels. Social-cultural activities should be organized inside and outside school so that individuals with special needs and their normally developing peers can spend more time together. These activities can be carried out within school–local government and school–NGO cooperation schemes.

Another factor important for ensuring social acceptance and related academic success is the teacher. It is known that academic success level increases in parallel to social acceptance. For this reason, teachers should be offered in-service training to explore the characteristics of individuals with special needs and relevant instructional adaptations to improve the social acceptance of these children.