This study of 40 adolescents with visual impairments and 23 of their best friends found that adolescents with visual impairments are successful in establishing and maintaining reciprocal, intimate best friendships. The friends engaged in activities together that were typical of adolescents without disabilities. Although some participants stated that the visual impairments affected the activities the friends could do together, they also noted that these limitations did not have a strong negative impact on their friendships.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AmmermanR. T., Van HasseltV. B., & HersenM. (1987). The handicapped adolescent. In Van HasseltV. B. & HersenM. (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 413–423). New York: Pergamon Press.
2.
BerndtT. J. (1990). Friendships in childhood and adolescence. In DamonW. (Ed.), Child development today and tomorrow (pp. 332–348). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
3.
BukowskiW. M., & HozaB. (1989). Popularity and friendship: Issues in theory, measurement, and outcome. In BerndtT. J. & LaddG. W. (Eds.), Peer relationships in child development (pp. 15–45). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
4.
CamarenaP. M., SarigianiP. A., & PetersenA. C. (1990). Gender-specific pathways to intimacy in early adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 19, 19–32.
5.
ClaesM. E. (1992). Friendship and personal adjustment during adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 15, 39–55.
6.
ClarkM. L., & AyersM. (1988). The role of reciprocity and proximity in junior high school friendships. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 17, 403–411.
7.
ClarkM. L., & AyersM. (1991). Friendship similarity during early adolescence: Gender and racial patterns. Journal of Psychology, 126, 393–405.
8.
CrockettL., LosoffM., & PetersenA. C. (1984). Perceptions of the peer group and friendship in early adolescence. Journal of Early Adolescence, 4, 155–181.
9.
DiazR. M., & BerndtT. J. (1982). Children's knowledge of a best friend: Fact or fancy? Developmental Psychology, 18, 787–794.
10.
DuckS. (1983). Friends, for life: The psychology of close relationships.Brighton, England: Harvester Press.
11.
DuckS. (1991). Friends, for life: The psychology of personal relationships (2nd ed.). New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
12.
Grenot-ScheyerM. (1994). The nature of interaction between students with severe disabilities and their friends and acquaintances without disabilities. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 19, 253–262.
13.
HartupW. W. (1978). Children and their friends. In McGurkH. (Ed.), Issues in childhood social development (pp. 130–170). London, England: Methuen.
14.
HartupW. W. (1989). Behavioral manifestations of children's friendships. In BerndtT. J. & LaddG. W. (Eds.), Peer relationships in child development (pp. 46–70). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
15.
HartupW. W. (1993). Adolescents and their friends. In LaursenB. (Ed.), Close friendships in adolescence (pp. 3–22). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
16.
HelmstetterE., PeckC. A., & GiangrecoM. F. (1994). Outcomes of interactions with peers with moderate or severe disabilities: A statewide survey of high school students. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 19, 263–276.
17.
HobenM., & LinstromV. (1980). Evidence of isolation in the mainstream. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 74, 289–292.
18.
JonesG. P. (1985). The development of intimate friendship in childhood and adolescence (Doctoral dissertation, University of Southern California, 1985). (University Microfilms International). Dissertation Abstracts International, 46-11A, 3294.
19.
JonesG. P., & DemboM. H. (1989). Age and sex role differences in intimate friendships during childhood and adolescence. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 35, 445–462.
20.
KekelisL. S., & SacksS. Z. (1992). The effects of visual impairment on children's social interactions in regular education programs. In SacksS. Z., KekelisL. S., & Gaylord-RossR. J. (Eds.), The development of social skills by blind and visually impaired students (pp. 59–82). New York: American Foundation for the Blind.
21.
MacCuspieP. A. (1990). The social acceptance and interaction of integrated visually impaired children. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
22.
MacCuspieP. A. (1992). The social acceptance and interaction of visually impaired children in integrated settings. In SacksS. Z., KekelisL. S., & Gaylord-RossR. J. (Eds.), The development of social skills by blind and visually impaired students (pp. 83–102). New York: American Foundation for the Blind.
23.
MacCuspieP. A. (1996). Promoting acceptance of children with disabilities: From tolerance to inclusion.Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada: Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority.
24.
McCoyJ. K. (1992). The importance of individual and family characteristics in predicting adolescent friendship quality (Doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia, 1992). (University Microfilms International, 9316369). Dissertation Abstracts International, 54-04A, 155.
25.
ParkerJ. G., & AsherS. R. (1987). Peer relations and later personal adjustment. Are low-accepted children “at risk?” Psychological Bulletin, 102, 357–389.
26.
RitzS. (1992). Intimate friendship and social competency through early adolescence (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1992). (University Microfilms International, 9310463). Dissertation Abstracts International, 54-02B, 1124.
27.
RubinL. B. (1985). The role of friendship in our lives.New York: Harper & Row.
28.
SacksS. Z. (1996). Psychological and social implications of low vision. In CornA. L. & KoenigA. J. (Eds.), Foundations of low vision: Clinical and functional perspectives (pp. 26–42). New York: AFB Press.
29.
SacksS. Z., WolffeK., & TierneyD. (in press). The Social Network Pilot Project: Lifestyles of students with visual impairments. Teaching Exceptional Children.
30.
SharabanyR. (1974). Intimate friendship among kibbutz and city children and its measurement (Doctoral dissertation, Cornell University. 1974). (University Microfilms International, 1613066). Dissertation Abstracts International, 35-02B, 1028.
31.
SharabanyR. (1994). Intimate Friendship Scale: Conceptual underpinnings, psychometric properties and construct validity. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 11, 449–469.
32.
SharabanyR., GershoniR., & HofmanJ. E. (1981). Girlfriend, boyfriend: Age and sex differences in intimate friendship. Developmental Psychology, 17, 800–808.
33.
ShechtmanZ. (1994). The effect of group psychotherapy on close same-gender friendships among boys and girls. Sex Roles, 30(11-12), 829–834.
34.
ShulmanS. (1993). Close relationships and coping behavior in adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 16, 267–283.
35.
UrbergK. A., DegirmenciogluM., TolsonJ. M., & Halliday-ScherK. (1995). The structure of adolescent peer networks. Developmental Psychology, 31, 540–547.
36.
WarrenD. W. (1984). Blindness and early childhood development (2nd ed.). New York: American Foundation for the Blind.
37.
WarrenD. W. (1994). Blindness and children: An individual differences approach.New York: Cambridge University Press.
38.
WolffeK., & SacksS. (1997). The lifestyles of blind, low vision, and sighted youths: A quantitative comparison. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 91, 245–257.