Paper Title
The Importance Of Students’ Maternal Attachment And Homeroom Teacher-Student Attachment-Like Relationship For The Psychosocial Adaptation Of Schoolchildren With Disabilities

Abstract
The present study explores the extent to which maternal attachment and teacher-student attachment-like relationships contribute to explaining the psychosocial and behavioral adaptation of students with disabilities in school. Participants included 65 dyads of Israeli homeroom teachers and their students with disabilities (mean age=10.9) (LD, ADHD, LD/ADHD comorbidity). Students attended regular schools and received assistance from integration teachers. Students were assessed based on the maternal attachment security scale and on appraisal of the teacher as a secure base. Homeroom teachers were appraised on the student-teacher security scale. Third-party teachers reported on students’ school adaptation. Six hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to assess the contribution of students’ attachment characteristics to their school adaptation. Results indicated that beyond the disability factor and age, teacher-student secure relationships reduced the students’ problems with self-regulation, learning difficulties, and externalizing behavior, and improved frustration tolerance and task orientation. Implications for the role of teachers of students with disabilities are discussed. Keywords— Children With Disabilities, Psychosocial Adaptation, Teacher-Student Attachment-Like Relationships.