Friendship Experiences of Young Adults Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication

ABSTRACT

Background: Friendship is a crucial relationship for young adults with disabilities as it offers practical support and enjoyment, and it is essential to well-being and health. The present study examined the friendships of young adults with physical disabilities whose challenges with natural speech necessitate the use of augmentative and alternative communication. Methods: Ten adults aged 19–32 were interviewed about their friendships. The semi-structured interviews were often co-constructed conversations between the participant, the carer and the interviewer. A process of largely inductive thematic analysis was followed, although this was guided by the existing literature on friendship experiences of persons using AAC. Results: Four themes were identified, namely companionship, quality of friendship, desire for independence, and the role of technology in mediating friendships. Conclusion: The participants in this study experienced positive relationships with friends. The importance of being understood by their friends and the role of social media in maintaining these friendships were highlighted.

KEYWORDS:

• Augmentative and alternative communication
• co-construction
• communication disabilities
• friendship
• social media

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation South Africa.