Comparative Study to Evaluate Happiness and Resilience Among Students with Special Needs and Mainstream Students

Abstract

The objective of this study is to assess and contrast the levels of happiness and resilience among children with special needs and mainstream students. A cross-sectional design was employed to gather quantitative data from 82 participants, aged 10-20 years, consisting of special needs (N=39) and mainstream students (N=43). The Children’s Happiness Scale and Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-R) were utilised to evaluate the levels of happiness and resilience in the participants, respectively. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was utilised for data analysis, which involved conducting independent-samples t-tests. The results revealed statistically significant disparities in both happiness (t = 3.71, p < 0.05) and resilience (t = 1.06, p < 0.05) between the two groups. The findings enhance our comprehension of the distinct difficulties and abilities encountered by children with special needs in contrast to their peers in mainstream schooling, therefore enabling us to develop well-informed interventions and support measures.