Individual differences and early school adjustment: teacher appraisals of young children with special needs

Individual differences in temperament and personality influence children's development of self‐regulation, social relationships, and adaptation within varied contexts. For young children with disabilities and/or family poverty, early school experiences provide both significant challenges and opportunities. In this study, teachers rated the temperament‐related and personality‐related behaviors and school adjustment of 176 children with special needs, ages 3–9 years. Overall, temperament dimensions of Negative Emotionality, Task Persistence, Inhibition, and Activity explained 58% of the variance in children's school adjustment ratings. The broader personality dimensions of Extraversion, Manageability, and Openness/Conscientiousness accounted for 71% of school adjustment ratings. These findings support the inclusion of individual difference assessments in intervention planning by interdisciplinary teams to enhance the ‘goodness‐of‐fit’ for young children at risk for school adjustment problems. Early intervention that focuses on differentiated supports and accommodations specific to each child's characteristics can enhance children's adjustment and self‐regulation and provide the foundation for later school success.