“Friends Give Meaning to Life:” Reframing Friendship for Individuals with Autism that Type to Communicate
Main Article Content
Keywords
friendships, communication, disability studies
Abstract
We, two able-bodied authors and two authors with autism, use a disability studies framework to understand our experiences of friendship. Taken from a series of recorded conversations over the course of a year, this project describes the development, maintenance, and complications related to our experiences with friendship, including: reframing of friendships, respect for communication, facilitator roles and support, interdependence and reciprocity, and permanency in relationships.
References
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Watt, K. J., Johnson, P., & Virji-Babul, N. (2010). The perception of friendship in adults with Down syndrome. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 54(11), 1015-1023.
Wendell, S. (2006). Toward a feminist theory of disability. In L.C. Davies (Ed.), The Disability Studies Reader, 243-256. New York, NY: Routledge.
Wurzburg, G. (2004). Autism is a world [Documentary]. Atlanta, GA: CNN Presents.
Abery, B. H., & Fahnestock, M. (1994). Enhancing the social inclusion of persons with developmental disabilities. In M. F. Hayden & B.H. Abery (Eds.), Challenges for a service system in transition: Ensuring quality community experiences for persons with developmental disabilities, 83-119. Baltimore: Paul H. Brooks.
Ashby, C. (2010). The trouble with normal: The struggle for meaningful access for middle school students with developmental disability labels. Disability & Society, 25(3), 345-358.
Ashby, C. E., & Causton-Theoharis, J. (2012). “Moving quietly through the door of opportunity”: Perspectives of College Students who Type to Communicate. Equity & Excellence in Education, 45(2), 261-282.
American Psychiatric Association. (2004). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Baron-Cohen, S., Leslie, A. M., & Frith, U. (1985). Does the autistic child have a “theory of mind”?, Cognition, 21(1), 37-46.
Bauminger, N., & Kasari, C. (2000). Loneliness and friendship in high-functioning children with Autism, Child development, 71(2), 447-456.
Bérubé, M. (1996). Life as we know it: A father, a family, and an exceptional child. New York: Pantheon.
Biklen, D., & Attfield, R. (2005). Autism and the myth of the person alone. New York: NewYork University Press.
Biklen, D., & Burke, J. (2006). Presuming competence. Equity & Excellence in Education, 39(2), 166-175.
Bogdan, R., & Taylor, S. J. (1989). Relationships with severely disabled people: The social construction of humanness. Social problems, 36(2), 135-148.
Broderick, A. A., & Kasa-Hendrickson, C. (2001). “Say just one word at first”: The emergence of reliable speech in a student labeled with autism. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 26(1), 13-24.
Condeluci, A. (2014). Interdependence, inclusion and self-determination. Interaction: The Australian magazine on intellectual disability, 27(3), 8.
Crossley, R., & Remington-Gurney, J. (1992). Getting the words out: Facilitated communication training. Topics in Language Disorders, 12(4), 29-45.
Crossley, R. (1994). Facilitated communication training. New York: Teachers College Press.
French, S. & Swain, J. (2001). The relationship between disabled people and health and welfare professionals. In G.L. Albrecht, K.D. Seelman and M. Bury (Eds.), Handbook of Disability Studies. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Frith, U., & Happé, F. (1994). Autism: Beyond “theory of mind”. Cognition,50(1-3), 115-132.
Hehir, T. (2002). Eliminating ableism in education. Harvard Educational Review, 72(1), 1-33.
Howard, B., Cohn, E., & Orsmond, G. I. (2006). Understanding and negotiating friendships Perspectives from an adolescent with Asperger syndrome. Autism, 10(6), 619-627.
Jacobs, P. (2002). Potential maximization: Toward a micro-sociological approach in disability studies. Disability Studies Quarterly, 22(1). 59-73. Retrieved from http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/336/420
Jobling, A., Moni, K. B., & Nolan, A. (2000). Understanding friendship: Young adults with Down syndrome exploring relationships. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 25(3), 235-245.
Kasa-Hendrickson, C., Broderick, A., & Hanson, D. (2009). Sorting out speech: understanding multiple methods of communication for persons with autism and other developmental disabilities. Journal of Developmental Processes, 4(2), 116-133.
Lutfiyya, Z. M. (1991). ‘A feeling of being connected’: Friendships between people with and without learning difficulties. Disability, Handicap & Society, 6(3), 233-245.
Mukhopadhyay, T. R. (2013). How can I talk if my lips don't move: Inside my autistic mind. New York: Arcade Publishing.
Oliver, M. (1990). The politics of disablement—New social movements. In The Politics of Disablement. 112-131. Macmillan.
Rossetti, Z. S. (2011). “That's how we do it”: Friendship work between high school students with and without autism or developmental disability. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 36(1-2), 23-33.
Rubin, S., Biklen, D., Kasa-Hendrickson, C., Kluth, P., Cardinal, D. N., & Broderick, A. (2001). Independence, participation, and the meaning of intellectual ability. Disability & Society, 16(3), 415-429.
Savarese, R. J. (2007). Reasonable people: A memoir of autism & adoption: On the meaning of family and the politics of neurological difference. New York: Other Press.
Taylor, A. R., Asher, S. R., & Williams, G. A. (1987). The social adaptation of mainstreamed mildly retarded children. Child development, 1321-1334.
Taylor, S. J. (2006). Before it had a name: Exploring the historical roots of disability studies in education. In S. Danforth & S. L. Gabel (Eds.), Vital Questions Facing Disability Studies in Education. New York, NY: Peter Lang.
Thomas, C. (2007). Sociologies of disability and illness: Contested ideas in disability studies and medical sociology. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
US Department of Health and Human Services. (2006). The supply of direct support professionals serving individuals with intellectual disabilities and other developmental disabilities: A report to Congress. In Report to Congress. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from: https://aspe.hhs.gov/basic-report/supply-direct-support-professionals-serving-individuals-intellectual-disabilities-and-other-developmental-disabilities-report-congress
Van der Klift, E., & Kunc, N. (1994). Hell-bent on helping: Benevolence, friendship, and the politics of help. In J. Thousand, R. Villa, & A. Nevin (Eds.), Creativity and collaborative learning: A practical guide to empowering students and teachers, 21-28. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing Co.
Watt, K. J., Johnson, P., & Virji-Babul, N. (2010). The perception of friendship in adults with Down syndrome. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 54(11), 1015-1023.
Wendell, S. (2006). Toward a feminist theory of disability. In L.C. Davies (Ed.), The Disability Studies Reader, 243-256. New York, NY: Routledge.
Wurzburg, G. (2004). Autism is a world [Documentary]. Atlanta, GA: CNN Presents.