‘Being an ordinary kid’ – demands of everyday life when labelled with disability

Abstract

Children who are labelled with disability resist being considered ‘different’. This study was initiated to investigate how some children experience being positioned as disabled and how they adapt to demands of everyday life, including at school. Based on an analysis of interviews completed with 15 Norwegian children aged 12–14 and their parents, this study concluded that the children talked about themselves from their preferred self-identity as ‘ordinary kids’. At the same time, they knew that being included in the broader community and being perceived as ‘ordinary’ required hard work. They were aware of, adapted to and supported certain social and academic norms in their environment and knew that other people's expectations of them were influenced by these norms. This study provides new insights into how children who are labelled with disability experience their situation and adapt to demands and expectations that they encounter in everyday life.

Keywords:

• children
• disability
• demands of everyday life
• school
• self-identity

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the children and parents who participated in this study, sharing their unique experiences. The authors would like to acknowledge Kari Opsahl and Bennedichte R. Olsen for collaborating and conducting interviews to this study. We would like to thank the peer reviewers for qualified and valuable support. This article is part of an interdisciplinary research project Professional Practices and Children‘s Participation, at Oslo and Akershus University College (OAUC), which has contributed to an overall inspiration and support. This study received financial support from The Research Council of Norway (RCN) and Oslo and Akershus University College (OAUC).