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Making connections
- Authors:
- OGI Laura, BARBER-LOMAX Lisa, BOYDEN Paul
- Journal article citation:
- Learning Disability Today, April 2010, pp.31-35.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
People with learning disabilities may struggle to find opportunities and ways to develop friendships due to limited social skills and difficulties in understanding the complicated world of human relationships. This article describes a relationships group set up in south Birmingham to help people with learning disabilities understand different types of relationships, how these are made and maintained, and why we like some people more than others. The group programme was comprised of 10 sessions with specific aims under the headings: the understanding of self, the understanding of others, the understanding of different levels of relationships, and the understanding of choices. Although the group was originally open to both men and women, the majority of referrals to the group were for men, and the outcome was a single sex group with 6 members. This article discusses the development in relationships between members and the extent to which interactions increased over time. It also discusses the key themes discussed by the members, including their feelings of being labelled disabled and their lack of employment opportunities.