Journal
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY-REVUE CANADIENNE D ERGOTHERAPIE
Volume 76, Issue 3, Pages 145-152Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
DOI: 10.1177/000841740907600303
Keywords
Friendship; Mainstream school; Children with disabilities; Phenomenology
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Funding
- Royal Blind Society
- Northcott Society
- Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children
- Spastic Society of NSW
- Sydney Children's Hospital (Randwick)
- University of Sydney
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Purpose. To explore the experiences of friendship for children with disabilities who attend mainstream Australian schools. Background. Being a friend is an important occupational role for all children. However, the literature suggests that physical inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream schools does not necessarily develop social inclusion. Methods. Phenomenology was used to explore friendship experiences of 10 primary school children with disabilities. Findings. Five themes emerged from the data: (1) self-identity; (2) meaning of friendship; (3) classroom experiences; (4) playing together; (5) longing for friendship. These themes reflected the importance of friendship in the children's lives, the influence of the children's beliefs and values, and the impact of the attitudes and actions of educational staff and other students. Implications. Occupational therapists need to work collaboratively with educational staff, students, and their peers to create inclusive school settings that facilitate positive friendship experiences for children with disabilities.
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