“When they don’t have to sit there they don’t. They’ll go and sit somewhere else”. Students with disabilities talk about barriers to friendship.

Abstract

Students learn best when they feel accepted, included and have positive social relationships. Over a period of two school years, four students with disabilities told their stories of the reality of their secondary school experiences including their experiences of friendships and social relationships in their classrooms and out- of-class settings. This article presents some of the contextual factors that were identified as supporting and/ or hindering positive social relationships and learning.

Unintentional and intentional barriers to positive social relationships are explored, and some implications for teachers, as they promote student learning within the classroom, are presented. Teachers are invited to listen to these stories and reflect on their pedagogy so as to learn how to create supportive learning environments where the values and principles of the New Zealand Curriculum are supported and where the key competencies of Relating to Others; Participating and Contributing; and Managing Self are developed.