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Why Can’t We Be Friends?

Why Can’t We Be Friends?. 2006 Midwest Symposium on Therapeutic Recreation & Adapted Physical Activity. Presenters: Illinois State University. Sandra Klitzing Jennifer Lunz Dawn McGee Todd Smedley Jessica Strack. Overview. Friendships in general Friendships & people with disabilities

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Why Can’t We Be Friends?

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  1. Why Can’t We Be Friends? 2006 Midwest Symposium on Therapeutic Recreation & Adapted Physical Activity

  2. Presenters:Illinois State University • Sandra Klitzing • Jennifer Lunz • Dawn McGee • Todd Smedley • Jessica Strack

  3. Overview • Friendships in general • Friendships & people with disabilities • Suggestions for friendship development

  4. Friendships in General • ABC’s of Friendship • What is a friend? • Someone who...

  5. Friendships in General: Definition • Mutual involvement between 2 people that is characterized by affection, satisfaction, enjoyment, openness, respect, and a sense of feeling important to the other. • Lawhon, 1997

  6. Does 1 size of friendship fit all?

  7. Does 1 size of friendship fit all? • Age • Gender • Ethnicity

  8. Circle of Friends • Best friends • Good friends • Acquaintances you play with • People who are paid to be in your life

  9. Friendships and People with Disabilities

  10. Friendships and People with Disabilities

  11. Friendships and People with Disabilities • Rarely engaged in social interaction with peers in school or classes • Had no consistent friends • Were alone on playground during free time • Had infrequent contact with peers in extracurricular or recreation activities • Were not invited for play dates, birthday parties, or sleep overs • Koegel et al., 2005

  12. Friendships and People with Disabilities • Often more helping relationships than friendships • Girls more frequently than boys “work with” a classmate who has a disability • Turnbull et al., 2000

  13. Suggestions for Friendship Development • Group work • Programs (goals & content) • Special Events • Activities • Facilitation techniques • Environmental clues • Group reports

  14. Suggestions for Friendship Development: Program Ideas • Children • Work with parents to arrange play dates • Help select peers with similar interests • Use staff to facilitate play dates at home of child with disability • Koegel et al., 2005

  15. Suggestions for Friendship Development: Program Ideas • Friendship program • How to build friendships • How to maintain friendships • Why friendships end • What you can do to reconnect

  16. Suggestions for Friendship Development: Special Events • International Friendship Day • First Sunday of August • A time to recognize friends

  17. Suggestions for Friendship Development: Activities • Music • Videos • Art • Friendship bracelets • Friendship mobile • Friendship poem

  18. http://www.twbookmark.com/features/children/activities/teacher_guide/timmy_teacherguide.pdfhttp://www.twbookmark.com/features/children/activities/teacher_guide/timmy_teacherguide.pdf

  19. Suggestions for Friendship Development: Facilitation Techniques • Preschool • Turtle technique • Fold arms and use words to say angry • Floor time with adults and peers • Burton & Denham, 1998

  20. Suggestions for Friendship Development: Facilitation Techniques • Children • Peer-support committees • Spencer, 1999 • Prevent adult interference • MAPS • Support clusters (formal & informal support) • Turnbull et al., 2000 • Program directories • Searcy, 1996

  21. Suggestions for Friendship Development: Facilitation Techniques • Be aware of isolation • Design cooperative activities • Divide participants into smaller groups • Provide for a small area of participation • Choose interactive materials & equipment • Serve as connector & reconnector

  22. Suggestions for Friendship Development: Environmental Clues • Bulletin board • Posters • Others????

  23. Why Can’t We Be Friends? • Questions? • If want handouts/PowerPoint • http://www.ilstu.edu/~slklitz • Thanks for attending our session

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