Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on the Perception of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction among Special Education Students

Abstract

Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) have been increasingly implemented in schools to foster better emotional regulation skills for students with special education needs such as learning disabilities (LDs). This pilot study aimed to evaluate the impact of a MBI on the need satisfaction of elementary students with severe LDs. A prospective quasi-experimental design involving one group and two time points was employed. A sample of 14 elementary school students from a severe LDs special education class participated in this project. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted and revealed a significant reduction in need satisfaction, with a large effect size (η² = .35). Contrary to our hypothesis, the MBI appeared to be negatively related to need satisfaction among participants. These results indicate that MBIs could be linked with better self-evaluation skills in students with severe LDs, which, in turn, may change (or increase the accuracy of) the perception that children have of their own need satisfaction.

Keywords:

• Autonomy
• competence
• mindfulness-based meditation
• need satisfaction
• relatedness
• school psychology
• self-determination theory
• severe learning disabilities

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Josée Douaire, Ph.D. and Danielle Rivest for their input on the project and assistance in its implementation. Funding for this project was provided by scholarships to the first author from the Fonds de Recherche en Société et Culture du Québec.