A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF WRITING SKILLS IN INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED BOYS VERSUS GIRLS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL RAIPUR, CHHATTISGARH

This research study was conducted to provide a comparative analysis of the writing skills of intellectually disabled boys and girls studying at the secondary level. The primary objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that "intellectually disabled boys at the secondary level will exhibit higher writing skills compared to intellectually disabled girls." A total of 60 intellectually disabled students (30 boys and 30 girls, aged 12–18 years) were selected from special and inclusive schools in the Raipur district (Chhattisgarh) using purposive random sampling. Data were collected using a standardized 'Writing Skill Assessment Scale' (WSAS), which evaluated fine motor skills, shape imitation, clarity of letters/words, and copying speed. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using the mean, standard deviation (SD), and t-test. The results indicated no statistically significant difference between the scores of boys (M=54.20, SD=8.15) and girls (M=52.80, SD=8.40) (t=0.65, p=.518). Consequently, the formulated hypothesis is rejected. The study concludes that, in the context of intellectual disability, the development of writing skills is not gender-dependent but rather relies on individual motor coordination and regular practice.