The study examined the manner in which self perceptions of learning disabled (LD) children (1) develop in relation to growing social awareness and (2) differ among groups of LD students who are segregated from normally achieving students for varying amounts of their instructional time. Eighty-seven children (in grades 3 though 8) had been placed in learning disabilities resource rooms in which each student attended regular classes and worked for 1 hour each day with an LD specialist in a small group; and 27 children (in grades 7-8) had been placed in self-contained settings for 80% to 100% of their instructional time. All Ss were administered the Perceived Competence Scale for Children. The test measures perceptions across four domains: cognitive competence, social acceptance, physical competence, and general self worth. Ss provided two ratings for each item on the cognitive competence subscale: perceptions of competence in the regular classroom and in the LD classroom. Results of factor analysis revealed that the factor structure of the LD sample differed from that obtained from a normally achieving sample. LD Ss in both resource rooms and self contained classrooms perceived themselves to be more academically competent in their special education classes than in regular classes. Middle school Ss in resource rooms perceived themselves more favorably in terms of cognitive competence in the LD classroom, social acceptance, physical competence, and self-worth than did middle school self-contained students. Resource room Ss tended to perceive themselves as increasingly less academically competent in the regular classroom across grades 3 through 8 and to maintain high perceptions of academic competence in the LD classroom. Elementary Ss in resource rooms perceived themselves as more intelligent and confident in their abilities than did middle school Ss. Finally, results suggested that the extent to which self-contained Ss perceived themselves to be smart and confident was related to their perceived social acceptance from peers and their athletic competence. (CL)