In contemporary educational discourse, the inclusion of students with special educational needs (SEN), generally defined as ‘students with various (combinations of) difficulties in participating in education’ (Pijl, Frostad, & Flem 2008, p. 389), has become a global trend (e.g., UNESCO, 2005). One of the main reasons why parents of children with SEN choose for inclusive education, are the relationships and social contacts with typically developing peers. However, research indicates that the social participation of children with SEN in regular schools is often problematic. Children with SEN were found to be less popular and to have fewer friends than their typically developing classmates (e.g., Frostad & Pijl, 2007, Bossaert, 2011).

One generally assumed central reason for these problems with social participation relates to the attitudes of peers towards persons with SEN (e.g., De Boer et al., 2012; Bossaert et al., 2012). Research in this domain shows that (1) typically developing students have on average neutral attitudes towards peers with SEN (De Boer et al., 2012). (2) females have more positive attitudes towards students with SEN than their male peers (e.g., Vignes, et. al., 2009) and (3) that the attitudes towards students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), severe behavior and communication problems are less positive, than students with sensory and motor disabilities (e.g., Pijl et. al., 2008). However, there is no information about the stability of the attitudes of adolescents towards students with SEN in Belgium or other countries. Having more insights in this matter can be crucial for future intervention studies as it provides necessary information on if and when intervention is most warranted.

The main goal of this study is to investigate the stability of attitudes of Belgian adolescents towards peers with SEN between 7^th and 10^th grade. In addition, we want to identify if there is a difference in the stability of these attitudes between males and females. Finally, we want to investigate if there is a difference in the stability of the attitudes towards different subgroups of students with SEN.

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