Friendship and education research may seem like a strange combination, but research shows that friendship is very important to positive educational outcomes, like opportunities for employment, living independently, and post-secondary education. However, children and adolescents with disabilities frequently have poor educational outcomes –and they often lack friendships with their peers. To better understand this gap, I've been engaged in two phase project that examines the lived experiences of friendship by people with disabilities. The first phase is an extensive survey and the second phase involves in-depth interviews. My presentation today will focus on the survey portion. Results are very preliminary at this point, but I wanted to share the process, data, and potential emerging themes with you today.
