Assessing fears and related anxieties in children and adolescents with learning disabilities or mild mental retardation

The purpose of the present study was to examine self-reported fears and related anxieties in children and adolescents (7-18 years of age) having learning disabilities (LD) or mild mental retardation (MIMR), and whether these fears and related anxieties differ based on gender and age. Students responded to two well validated instruments, The Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale. The results revealed age, gender, and disability interaction effects. Adolescent boys having mild mental retardation reported highest levels of fear related to failure and criticism, a finding that was different from those reported in previous studies. In addition, girls reported higher levels than boys of total fear, fears related to minor injury and small animals, and worry/oversensitivity. Age main effects were also observed where younger students from both the LD and the MIMR groups reported higher levels of non-specific general anxiety. Implications and directions for future research were presented.