Special at school but lonely at home: An alternative friendship group for adolescents with Down syndrome

After a decade of inclusion and structured school programmes to facilitate friendships, many parents report that peer relationships end after school hours. In this article, Jeanne D'Haem summarises the results of her study comparing the efficacy of two school based friendship groups with a mixed age home based group. The home-based mixed age friendship group did result in significant friendships. The school-based friendship groups of adolescent peers were not successful in developing friendships for individuals with Down syndrome. When a multi-age group was conducted outside of the school, friendships formed and have continued for over two years. This article describes how and why parents and professionals should look beyond school based same age peer friendship groups and consider a community circle of mixed-age friends. Full text available at: www.down-syndrome.org/practice/2012