Self-esteem, aspirations and expectations of adolescents with physical disability.

Fifteen adolescents with physical disabilities were compared with able-bodied controls by means of questionnaires to assess their self-esteem and their future aspirations and expectations. There was no significant difference for self-esteem between the two groups. This encouraging finding is inconsistent with earlier findings of low self-esteem. There was no significant correlation between the self-esteem of the physically disabled adolescents and the difference between their aspirations and expectations; however, there was a significant negative correlation for the able-bodied controls.