"Special and Non-Special People": Students With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Explore Belonging Within School

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 26
  In Roundtable Session: Lived Experiences With Disability in Education

Abstract

The present study examined how students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) understand and perceive belonging within their schools. Five focus groups were conducted with 29 high school students with IDD involved in an inclusive extracurricular program from five geographically diverse high schools. In the focus groups, students described how it feels to belong at school and viewed belonging as existing in multiple spaces within school, including, but not limited to, inclusive programs. Students also experienced belonging through relationships with their peers, and particularly valued friendships with peers with IDD. These findings extend recent work on belonging among students with IDD, and have implications for implementing school programs and practices that promote belonging across school contexts.

Authors

• Emily Van Gaasbeek, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Holly Jacobs, University of Massachusetts - Boston

• Natalie Gwendolyn May, University of Massachusetts - Boston