Content uploaded by Mary Schuh
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Mary Schuh on Feb 10, 2016
Content may be subject to copyright.
Friendship Is the Ocean: Importance of Friendship, Acceptance, and Leadership in the Transition to Adulthood
Abstract
Youth with disabilities, compared with their typical peers, have a higher likelihood of dropping out of school and experience poorer transition outcomes. Evidence supports programs and interventions focusing on inclusive education and leadership skills results in successful transition to college and career. This article describes the experiences of six youth with and without disabilities as they participate in the Youth Empowerment Series, a project helping students navigate the path to postsecondary education and/or employment. A phenomenological approach and photoelicitation was used to gather information about participant’s transition experiences. Findings suggest participants valued forming personal connections and friendships as they entered adulthood. Themes included acceptance, leadership, self-advocacy, inclusion, and planning for future goals. Participants were aware of transition needs and goals and had an understanding of the support systems needed to reach their goals. Future research on the role of friendship networks in transition planning as a natural support is warranted.
... During adolescence and young adulthood, peers are critically important to the experiences of youth with disabilities and provide unique support (Lafferty & McConkey, & Taggart, 2013;Mason, Timms, Hayburn, & Watters, 2013;Schuh, Sundar, & Hagner, 2015). Adolescents with disabilities identify friendships with peers as central to the transition to adulthood (Schuh et al., 2015) and the social support provided by peer friendships cannot be substituted by alternate relationships (i.e., family, adults; Lafferty et al., 2013;Mason et al., 2013). ...
... During adolescence and young adulthood, peers are critically important to the experiences of youth with disabilities and provide unique support (Lafferty & McConkey, & Taggart, 2013;Mason, Timms, Hayburn, & Watters, 2013;Schuh, Sundar, & Hagner, 2015). Adolescents with disabilities identify friendships with peers as central to the transition to adulthood (Schuh et al., 2015) and the social support provided by peer friendships cannot be substituted by alternate relationships (i.e., family, adults; Lafferty et al., 2013;Mason et al., 2013). Unfortunately, friendships with peers occur less frequently (Kreider et al., 2016;Locke, Kasari, Rotheram-Fuller, Kretzmann, & Jacobs, 2013;Mendelson, Gates, & Lerner, 2016), are of lower quality (Locke, Ishijima, Kasari, & London, 2010;Mendelson et al., 2016;Whitehouse, Durkin, Jaquet, & Ziatas, 2009;Wiener & Schneider, 2002), are less stable (Estell, Jones, Pearl, & Van Acker, 2009;Marton, Wiener, Rogers, & Moore, 2015;Wiener & Schneider, 2002), and less diverse (Estell et al., 2009;Kreider et al., 2016;Kuo, Orsmond, Cohn, & Coster, 2013;Marton et al., 2015;Wiener & Schneider, 2002) for students with disabilities than for their typically developing peers. ...
... Our goal was to learn from participants with the shared goal of using virtual spaces to make or maintain friends within or beyond the immediate program. We included participants up to age 24 (hereafter referred to as youth) because of the critical role of social support in successfully transitioning between pediatric and adult healthcare services (Schuh et al., 2015). This upper age limit was based on the World Health Organization's (2014) definition of young persons. ...
Aims
This scoping review explores what is known about programs that support youth with physical and developmental disabilities to create virtual social connections as a means toward friendships.
Methods
Peer-reviewed studies were searched in six electronic databases: CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Scopus. Two reviewers screened articles that described programs in which participants, ages 8–20, interacted with others online, and reported outcomes related to virtual social connections and friendships in their personal social networks. Data extraction involved program characteristics (e.g., duration, group members, online platform) plus qualitative description outlining access and participation experiences.
Results
After screening 12,605 articles, 9 were determined eligible. Programs followed two approaches: (1) training youth to use the internet and technology to access virtual spaces independently; and (2) designing virtual opportunities and activities that encourage youth interaction and collaboration. Each approach was grounded in the principles of fostering privacy and independence (i.e., socializing with peers without relying on caregivers), safety and self-expression (i.e., communicating authentically), plus confidence and capability (i.e., trying new skills).
Conclusions
This scoping review provides guidance on enhancing access and participation of youth with disabilities in virtual spaces where they can develop social connections that increase chances for friendships.
... Separated from family ties and marital as well as sexual relations, friendship exists amongst those that creates a bond free from any commitments or obligatory ties (Palisi & Ransford, 1987). Through friendship, one obtains an unwritten contract for providing support and reciprocal kindness which creates a sense of connectedness and constructive social experiences (Schuh et al., 2014). ...
Dating apps aim to help you meet someone. Many found success in finding love online encouraging dating apps developers to further ingrained themselves into the modern-day matchmaking culture. This study recommends a research model examining the antecedents of users' intention to continuously use dating apps. It focuses on the influence of gratifications from the use of dating apps towards perceived usefulness and continuance intention as well as the role of perceived usefulness as a mediator. The result shows a positive relationship between gratifications and continuance intention. Although not strong, the perceived usefulness does acts as a mediator in this relationship.
... In adulthood, the benefits of friendships between those with and without disabilities include reports of decreased anxiety and increased well-being for the individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities (Mazurek, 2014). Individuals without disabilities also benefit from friendships with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as improved social skills (Carter et al., 2011), shared humor (Rossetti, 2015), increased awareness of exclusionary practices (Schuh et al., 2015), and better understanding of societal attitudes about disabilities (Copeland et al., 2004). ...
Friendships contribute to positive social outcomes such as the promotion of prosocial behaviors and social well-being and can lead to an overall healthy quality of life. Despite the importance of friendships, little is known about how individuals without disabilities develop and maintain friendships with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Using a phenomenological research design, the current study explored the lived experiences of 17 adults without disabilities who discussed the development and maintenance of their friendship with an individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and subsequently collaborative, open coding was used to identify codes and themes across participants. Three main themes emerged related to 1) factors that facilitated friendship development; 2) factors that contributed to friendship maintenance; and 3) impacts of the friendship for both individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. Implications of the results are discussed as well as future directions for research.
... They experience poor mental health outcomes as they grapple with identity-building (Anaby et al., 2013;Karim, & Hassan, 2019), victimization, and depression (Berg et al., 2015). Moreover, due to unpleasant experiences and lack of support (Schuh et al., 2015), the dropout rate for high school students with disabilities was twice as high as their peers, according to Johnson et al. (2012), who also found that over 75 percent of young people with disabilities were under-or unemployed, did not participate in higher education, or stayed home after graduation. ...
Youth with disabilities generally struggle to earn a good livelihood as they journey through life. Disability acceptance is acceptance of impairment or loss of worth or acceptance of failure in the sense of disability. It involves changes in one’s values, placing less importance on one’s physical disability and more on one’s remaining assets or abilities. To develop the Self-Acceptance Scale for youth with physical disabilities (SAS-PD), this study adopted the sequential exploratory design. The scale was administered on 247 persons with physical disabilities. Following the compilation and analysis of qualitative data, a quantitative study was conducted. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) identified six factors, viz. social stigma, enlargement, and asset value, containment of disability effect, family support, and body acceptance that were represented by fifty items in a questionnaire that covered the attributes examined in the scale. The assessment of the level of self-acceptance by youth with disabilities using the SAS-PD may be a valuable intervention for transition programs. Going forward, the scale could also be used to build the profile of people with physical disabilities before they begin participating in any face to face or virtual training program. The assessment of youth with disability self-acceptance level enables their parents and teachers to be aware of their mental state and lead to more strategic planning for the teaching-learning approach.
... Friendships play a critical role in people's lives. They can influence the activities people engage in, how they relate to others, and their worldview [1]. However, for men, traditional gender norms may limit the benefits of close male relationships [2]. ...
Background:
Men who develop behaviors connected with the model of hegemonic masculinity present several health problems. Previous research has shown the types of problems that men commonly suffer in this regard such as chronic diseases, dietary disorders, and traffic accidents. To combat and overcome this situation, several campaigns, policies and recommendations have been undertaken, and consequently, their influence has been analyzed. However, there have been few investigations into the role of men's friendship in the reduction of these physical health problems. The findings presented in this article are focused on this issue, illustrating the impact of male friendship on the shaping of healthy behaviors.
Methods:
Drawing upon a qualitative-based methodology articulated in a case study of the Men in Dialogue association, located in Spain, the study has followed the premises of the communicative approach, a total of 15 structured online open-ended questionnaires have been performed and analyzed. The median age of the participants is 37.5 years.
Results:
The findings show how men involved in Men in Dialogue are promoting a kind of masculine friendship that is improving men's emotional well-being and, consequently, their physical health.
... Furthermore, Beal and Crockett (2010) found in their study that young people's expectations for the future are often grounded in what they believe about their skills, capacities and the opportunities available to them. The significance of a close network for young individuals growing up with long-term health challenges is in line with previous studies (Schuh et al., 2015;Suris et al., 2004). Although, young individuals gradually gained more self-management knowledge and skills, parents were still strongly involved in their lives and some young people experienced them as too protective. ...
Aims
The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of the transition to adulthood for young people with long‐term health challenges.
Design
The metasynthesis approach was based on the guidelines by Sandelowski and Barroso for synthesizing qualitative research.
Data sources
Seven electronic databases: CINAHL, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and SocIndex were searched on 6–10 February 2020.
Review methods
Studies were critically appraised using the Joanna Briggs critical appraisal tool. Qualitative data were extracted, meta‐summarised, then meta‐synthesized.
Findings
Nineteen qualitative studies were included in this review. Six themes illustrated experiences in the transition to adulthood: wishing for an ‘ordinary’ life, significance of close network, working towards independence, in need of systemic resources and services, psychosocial challenges and keeping a positive attitude.
Conclusion
Young people with long‐term health challenges wished for as ‘ordinary’ a life as possible in the future. In the transition to adulthood, they gradually gained more competence in self‐management skills and knowledge and strived to become more independent. By having a positive attitude and using other coping strategies, young people can work on some of the difficulties they experience in this phase. However, to achieve and maintain independence young people with long‐term health challenges are dependent on the support of a close network and systemic support and services.
Impact
The findings highlight the need to help alleviate the fears and worries of young people with long‐term health challenges and create opportunities for successful transition to adulthood by increased awareness and interventions from policy‐makers and professionals in the health and social system.
... Students who have good social relation might have increased in self-awareness and cooperation [7]. When socializing, most of the people gain friends and students might gain new friends if they will build confidence in standing up for what they think is true or right [8]. Students who have skills in communicating and forming friends are more likely to develop positive relationships. ...
Friendship is extremely important in people’s lives. On the other hand, self-confidence is some of the important variable for the students. Those who have high level of self-confidence tend to have positive outlook on his capacities. This study aims to assess the relationship between the number of friends in school and the level of self-confidence of the students in Jagobiao National High School-Senior High Department. The researcher used a descriptive quantitative design that seeks descriptive information on the relationship between the students’ number of friends and their level of self-confidence and also; there are two hundred forty-three respondents. The instrument used for the data collection was a quantitative survey using Likert scale to gather the needed data the researcher adopted a questionnaire from Rosenberg (1965). The data was analyzed through use of weighted mean and chi-square for determining the significant association between the number of friends in school and the level of self-confidence of the students. The findings of the study showed that there was no significant association between the number of friends in school and the level of self-confidence of the students. Generally, having a low or high number of friends does not seem to affect the student's self-confidence.
In the last few decades, the teen movie genre has left behind the genre of light comedies or farce comedies and deals with more substantial and fundamental issues concerning teenagers and young adults. In the literary universe of John Green, which has been the basis and source of inspiration for the corresponding film and television adaptations, the form of the good-natured and well-intentioned loser teenager dominates. The loser teenager watches with longing and anxiety the lives of his popular peers, longing to be given a chance to join their company. when this finally happens, he finds out that things are not always as they seem and the values that decorate his universe are not as meaningless as he initially thought. The heroes in Green's books possess culture, dreams and ambitions, and an already complete personal universe that most of their popular peers lack, lost in the abyss of adolescence, its changes, and dilemmas. their depiction in the mass entertainment media of film and television reflects also social changes in teen and school culture, s well as the broadening of personal outlooks and expectations of teenagers themselves. in the recent article, we are going to analyse the type of loser geek/nerd teenager hero in the film and television adaptations of his young adult novel Paper Towns (2015) and Looking for Alaska (2019).
This study examined the outcomes of 409 students with mental retardation or multiple disabilities from 177 school districts in a Great Lakes state. These students with intellectual disabilities were interviewed at exit and 1 year following graduation. The authors developed and tested three regression models—two to predict full-time employment and one to predict college enrollment after graduation. Although inclusion was a significant predictor of postsecondary education, career and technical education and work study programs did not reach significance as predictors of postschool employment. For these students, gender and minority issues contributed to most of the variance. These findings point to the need for more holistic career and technical education and work study models for these students.
Inclusive programs increasingly have become available for students with severe disabilities, enabling them to receive special education services and supports in general education classes alongside their non-disabled peers. Forty students in two groups were assessed across two years of inclusive versus self-contained educational programming, comparing outcomes on measures of child development and social competence with the Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB) and the Assessment of Social Competence (ASC). Participants were assessed on the SIB and ASC, matched into pairs on chronological age and SIB total scores at first testing, and reassessed after two additional years of either inclusive or self-contained schooling. The inclusive student group made statistically significant gains on the developmental measure and realized higher social competence scores in comparison to the self-contained group at follow-up. Examination of gains on these measures irrespective of group affiliation indicated that participants made small, but significant, gains in two of four skill clusters assessed by the SIB and three of eleven dimensions of the ASC. These results challenge a common assumption that self-contained settings in comparison to inclusive settings will result in superior gains on students' IEP-related skill domains. They also support previous research showing social competence gains as a function of inclusion. Results are discussed in terms of expected change over time for students with severe disabilities, the implications of variations from the group results that occurred for individual students, and future research needed on the outcomes of quality inclusive schooling for students with severe disabilities.
Despite the benefits of parental involvement in a student's transition planning process, the reality is that parents of students with disabilities are often not adequately involved. This problem is particularly salient with regard to culturally diverse parents. The purpose of this study was to gather in-depth information about parents' experiences in the transition planning process. Nineteen African American, Asian American, European American, and Hispanic parents of 19 high school students with disabilities were interviewed by telephone regarding their knowledge and involvement in their children's transition planning process. Emergent themes included a lack of knowledge regarding transition planning, the importance of attending Individualized Education Program and transition meetings, the importance of employment, the importance of home support, and parental emotions as barriers.
The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the secondary transition correlational literature to identify in-school predictors of improved postschool outcomes in the areas of education, employment, and/or independent living for students with disabilities. Based on results of this review, 16 evidence-based, in-school predictors of postschool outcomes were identified. Of the 16 predictors, 4 (25%) predicted improved outcomes in all three postschool outcome areas, 7 (43.8%) predicted improved outcomes for only postschool education and employment, and 5 (31.3%) predicted improved outcomes for employment only. Limitations and implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Transition-age students with disabilities under the jurisdiction of the juvenile justice system face serious transition and rehabilitation challenges as they reenter the community from youth detention. This article presents the initial outcomes of a demonstration project utilizing the Rehabilitation, Empowerment, Natural supports, Education and Work (RENEW) transition model, a service design that has been successful for nonadjudicated youth with emotional disabilities. Of 33 project participants, ages 14 to 17 at project entry, 67.7% successfully reengaged with education or employment following their release from detention. The results of a qualitative investigation are reported based on interviews with key stakeholders about the factors differentiating successful and unsuccessful outcomes. Implications for refinement of the intervention model with this population are discussed.
Collective group advocacy at the political level is an essential practice for creating a society that is responsive to the needs and rights of individuals with disabilities. Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) is a popular mechanism for training adolescents with disabilities to become such a force for change. The traditional YLF model, however, has limitations due to its lack of a systematic approach and a follow-up component. This article introduces a new and improved YLF model that comprises progressive levels of training and systematic follow-up components.
Contemporary sociologists and psychologists have long been interested in youth friendship, and have generated a large but disconnected body of literature on this topic. In this essay, I advocate using life course theory to weave together the varied elements of this literature and to generate new lines of research for the next millennium. First, I survey four general themes of contemporary research: friendship and development, the nature and structure of friendship, friendship culture, and the social context of friendship. Second, I explore how life course theory can bridge sociological and psychological research by viewing friendship as shaped by sociohistorical forces and as regulating human development. Four general issues are discussed: pathways and trajectories, the social embeddedness of relationships, long-term perspectives on friendship, and methodological issues pertinent to life course treatments of friendship. By drawing on life course principles, future researchers can advance understanding of the role of friendship in young people's lives.
This is an interpretivist qualitative study that explores the contexts and dynamics of friendships among three groups of young adults; each group included an individual with autism or severe disability and high school students without disabilities. Data were collected through ethnographic methods where friends interacted together. Particular attention was paid to how friendships were enacted when one individual does not speak, struggles with initiation or movement, experiences anxiety, and/or uses a wheelchair. Students without disabilities tended to provide more of the help in these relationships to sustain their connection as friends and maintain opportunities to interact. The findings include examples and discussions of how the students with and without disabilities enacted their meaningful relationships.
This article assesses the use of auto-driven photo elicitation among children Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka. Comparing the data previously collected from word-only interviews with the data collected from auto-driven photo-elicited interviews, the author discusses how the latter field method tended to evoke greater descriptions from the research participants, how the descriptions were more emotionally charged than word-only descriptions, and how the autodriven approach was an effective means of bridging the culturally distinct worlds of the researcher and the researched.