Sociocultural implications on the learning of youth with concurrent disorders: Factors that are perceived as necessary for student success in mainstream classrooms

Research indicates that a significant proportion of adolescent students have a concurrent disorder that is significant enough to cause social or educational impairment. Thus the potential consequences of this condition on students as they progress through adolescence cannot be denied. The present study explored the factors perceived by teachers, administrators, and psychologists to be important in helping this population of students to achieve academic and social success in a mainstream classroom. The results of this study indicate that the number of adolescent students exhibiting symptoms of a concurrent disorder within the secondary school environment has increased in recent years. While a small number of students will need to access community services, many will remain within the classroom. There is a general consensus for a need for empirically-based classroom strategies, although there is a noticeable lack of consistency and confidence regarding the details and implementation of such strategies.;Keywords: Concurrent disorders; adolescents; teachers; perceptions; student success; mainstream classroom.