Vol. 2, Issue 3, Part M (2016)

Abstract
Sensory Challenged Children are referred to as those “who are deaf-blind, deaf, hearing impaired and visually impaired”. Education is the fundamental right of every child and sensory challenged children cannot be deprived of the same. School is a socializing agency that helps both sensory challenged and non-disabled children to learn and understand the patterns of social behaviour and also the norms of social relationship. Social skills and social behaviour is regarded as one of the important aspects in school for the success and wellbeing of children in academics, interpersonal relationships and personality development. The perception of non-disabled children have about sensory challenged children prevents them from being accepted which hinders their social interaction. This in turn will obstruct their classroom participation and also in their school activities. An attempt has been made to study the social skills and social behaviour of both sensory challenged children and non-disabled children in an inclusive school environment. Hundred sensory challenged children and hundred non-disabled children in the age bracket of 10-15 years studying in an inclusive school in Bangalore city were selected. Self-structured scales was formulated and standardized to assess the social skills and social behaviour of sensory challenged and non-disabled children. The design for the study included a pre and post method with an intervention programme. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study highlights the need both sensory challenged and non-disabled learn to develop, refine and mould their social skills as well as their social behaviour which is crucial and lays the foundation for inclusive education.