The ability to distinguish serious from playful fighting by two groups of children with
learning disabilities (LD) (mean age = 9.3 and 11.8 years) and non-LD children (mean age
= 10.1 years) was examined. Children with LD were generally able to make this distinction,
with older children being more accurate. However, the performance of children with LD was
not as high as that of non-LD children: they used a smaller range of criteria; some criteria
were used significantly less; and they were much more likely not to give any reason for the
judgements made. On the other hand, the order in frequency of those criteria cited was
similar for both non-LD children and children with LD. Physical actions of the participants,
and inference about actions and/or intent were the most frequently cited criteria. These
findings indicate that although children with LD use fewer social cues, and are less accurate
in making judgements about the nature of behavioural episodes, the acquisition of the
meaning of particular cues may follow the same sequence as for non-LD children. Possible
delays in the social cognitive development of children with LD, and their implications for the
social adjustment of these children, are discussed.