Peer Interactions and Friendship Opportunities Between Elementary Students With and Without Autism or Developmental Disability

Abstract

This article describes a qualitative examination of the interactions between 2 students, 1 with autism and 1 with a developmental disability, and their peers without disabilities in 2 inclusive, public school elementary classrooms in the northeastern United States. Data were collected by naturalistic observation, semi-structured observation, and semi-structured interviews. Examining the quality and quantity of interactions, as well as the facilitating effects of educators, the goal was to identify conditions that support the development of friendship opportunities. The findings indicated that inclusive education and having classmates who accepted them were not enough to result in consistent friendship opportunities for the 2 focal students. Findings included (a) the identification of missed opportunities for educator intervention to support friendship opportunities, and (b) the success of several educator strategies to facilitate friendship opportunities. Implications and considerations to improve conditions to support friendship opportunities in inclusive elementary classrooms are shared.

The Nature of Friendship Between Students With and Without Severe Disabilities

“…The parents and teachers also prepared students to be more successful during their interactions. This appears to be effective because when interactions between students with and without severe disabilities stall or end prematurely (i.e., are unsuccessful), TD peers may decrease or stop initiating social interactions with classmates with severe disabilities (Rossetti, 2014).…”

Factors Associated With Parent IEP Satisfaction

“…These younger parents, who likely have younger children, may be new to the special education system, unaware of available supports and services that their child may be eligible to receive (Stoner et al, 2005), and more confident that the school is addressing their child's needs (Spann et al, 2003). Elementary schools are often more inclusive settings than high schools (Rossetti, 2014), perhaps leaving parents of younger children more satisfied. Furthermore, parents who are new to special education may have yet to experience common barriers, such as lack of collaboration (Rossetti et al, 2020), disagreements over placement or services (Blackwell & Blackwell, 2015), or conflict over behavior/ disciplinary procedures (White, 2014).…”

Attitudes of Non-Disabled Students Towards Their Peers With Disabilities in an Inclusive Setting in Ghana

“…After all, one of the core ideas behind inclusive education is that students with and without disabilities experience social benefits in attending general education schools together (Flem & Keller, 2000;Hayford, 2013). However, research has repeatedly reported that inclusion alone does not automatically lead to more social contact and friendships between students with and without disabilities (Annan, 2014;Danso, 2009;Pijl, 2005;Rossetti, 2014;Schwab, Huber, & Gebhardt, 2016). The attitudes of classmates or friends towards peers with disabilities can be regarded as an environmental factor that might facilitate or inhibit the social participation of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in inclusive education settings (Purutcuoglu & Dogan, 2015;Vignes, Godeau, Sentenac, Coley, Navarro, Grandjean, & Arnaud, 2009).…”