PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WITH MODERATE, SEVERE, OR PROFOUND DISABILITIES ON FACILITATING FRIENDSHIPS WITH NONDISABLED PEERS

A survey was conducted in which teachers of students with moderate, severe, or profound disabilities shared their perceptions on facilitating friendships between their students and nondisabled peers. Survey participants included teachers across the three states of Iowa, Nebraska, and Florida. Results indicated that teachers believe that these friendships are possible, they can I should be facilitated by adults, and are beneficial to students with and without disabilities. They perceived that friendships are most likely to develop when students with disabilities are educated in regular classes for part of the day. By contrast, they perceived that other skill development, such as functional life skills, is most likely to occur when students are educated in a special class in a regular school. Teachers perceived themselves, regular education teachers, and parents of students with disabilities as needing to take primary responsibility for facilitating these friendships. Teachers perceived the most effective strategies for facilitating friendships to be ones involving collaboration, presentation of information, cooperative learning, peer tutoring and teaching social interaction skills, in addition, teachers indicated the highest willingness to personally carry out these same strategies. Future research questions and practical implications for facilitating friendships in educational environments are offered.