The relationship between school environment and participation for students with disabilities.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between participation in school activities of students with disabilities and their school environment. Children and youths with disabilities rated their own participation in school activities while teachers and special education counsellors rated the student's school environment. Statistical methods used in this study were the Pearson's correlation coefficient and one-way-ANOVA. The results revealed that neither the amount of support given nor the general school environment was statistically related to students' participation. Further, the individual's specific environment, especially when rated as availability to activities by the students themselves, was related to students' participation. This might indicate that when investigating important environmental factors related to participation, students' own perceptions of his/her niches is important to investigate. The support students were given related more to type and number of disabilities than to students' participation.