Poster Presentation
Friday, July 13, 2007
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Friday, July 13, 2007
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Formation of peer relationship of the young people with intellectual disability
Chih-Hsuan Chen, MS, Department of Rehabilitation, Catholic Private Savior Home for Severely Retarded Youth / Institute of Allied Health Science of College of Medicine, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan and Bih-Ching Shu, PhD, RN, Department of Nursing and Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Tainan, Taiwan.
| Learning Objective #1: understand process of formation of peer relationship in young people with ID. |
| Learning Objective #2: understand the meaning of friend or peer for young people with ID |
Background: Interaction with peers is important for the development of children and adolescent with intellectual disability(ID). Aim: The aim of this study was to gain an understanding in how peer relationships are formed in young people with intellectual disability. Method: The study was conducted in a city located in Eastern Taiwan. Two young people with ID participated in individual open-ended interviews. Field notes were recorded. Thematic statements that describe relationships with peers were isolated from four transcriptions of the interviews and two ones of field notes. The process of data analysis were checked by two experts in qualitative research and the finding were confirmed by the teachers of young ID individuals in school. Finding: Three themes were conceived in regards to the process of forming peer relationships from solitary to dyad associations in young people with ID: 1. The requirement of physical approaching space: only under a physical approaching space, such as in the special education class or harboring factory, can the young people with ID perceive an existing somebody who would have a chance to become his friend in the future. 2. Judgmental principle for becoming their peers: young people with ID use two principles to judge if someone is their peers or friends stated in the following: (1) is this person bracketing with them and (2) was there a good interaction during the early contact with this person? 3. the formation of a deep peer relationship: In this stage, young ID individuals can experience genuine happiness and besetments during their lifetime with each other.Conclusion: young people with ID need adequate resources and support to guide them to make friends when they are in school. The study will be ongoing and need more data from interviews and observation of other ID individuals.