Table 3.

Peer Social Maturity Scale (PSMAT) Items. Pre-post intervention differences in the “Exciting School” program in neurotypical children and children with special educational needs.

	Neurotypical (n = 98)				Special Educational Needs (n = 7)
	Pre-Intervention	Post-Intervention			Pre-Intervention	Post-Intervention
	Median (IQR) Mean (SD)	Median (IQR) Mean (SD)	Z	p- Value a	Median (IQR) Mean (SD)	Median (IQR) Mean (SD)	Z	p- Value a
Skills for appropriately standing up for own opinions, needs, and rights with peers	5 (4–6) 4.63 (1.37)	5 (4–6) 5.13 (1.25)	−5.21	<0.001	2 (1–3) 2.57 (1.72)	3 (2–4) 3 (1.63)	−1.73	0.083
Skills for joining new groups of peers, or welcoming a new child into the group	5 (4–6) 4.83 (1.33)	5 (4–6) 5.23 (1.28)	−3.71	<0.001	2 (2–4) 2.86 (1.68)	3 (2–5) 3 (1.53)	−0.58	0.564
Child’s leadership skills with peers	4 (3–6) 4.39 (1.52)	5 (4–5) 4.55 (1.39)	−1.56	0.119	2(1–3) 2.29 (1.38)	2 (1–4) 2.43 (1.62)	0	1
Skills for coping with peers who frustrate or interfere with the group’s goals and activities	4 (3–6) 4.49 (1.55)	5 (4–6) 4.88 (1.36)	−3.57	<0.001	2 (1–3) 2.57 (1.72)	3 (1–3) 2.43 (1.51)	−0.58	0.564
Skills for understanding the needs and interests of peers who differ from the group norm	4 (3–6) 4.49 (1.49)	5 (4–6) 4.88 (1.36)	−3.50	<0.001	2 (1–3) 2.57 (1.72)	3 (1–3) 2.43 (1.51)	−0.58	0.564
Maturity of the child’s everyday modes of playing with peers	5 (4–6) 4.98 (1.41)	5 (4–6) 5.22 (1.34)	−2.28	0.023	3 (2–4) 3 (1.29)	3 (2–4) 2.86 (1.35)	−0.45	0.655
The overall maturity of the child’s social skills	5 (4–6) 4.85 (1.31)	5 (4–6) 4.95 (1.27)	−1.21	0.228	3 (2–3) 2.86 (1.57)	3 (2–4) 2.86 (1.35)	0	1
PSMAT total score	32 (27–40) 32.66 (8.41)	35 (29–42) 34.85 (8.34)	−4.29	<0.001	17 (13–21) 18.71 (10.37)	20 (11–28) 19 (9.97)	−0.11	0.917

IQR: interquartile range; SD: standard deviation; ^a: Wilcoxon signed-rank test; PSMAT: Peer Social Maturity Scale.