A Qualitative Study of Teachers' Views about Befriending Persons with Special Needs

The aim of this study was to explore the views of student special education teachers as befrienders of persons with special needs. The views of 22 students were explored before and after their participation in a Befriending Program for supporting families with persons with autism spectrum disorders and deaf children. The qualitative analysis of findings revealed that this group of volunteers had personal and altruistic motives for their befriending activity. In addition, through their befriending relationship with those families they gained considerable insights for student special education teachers' understanding of children's behavior in the home context and the needs of their families. Recommendations for research and practice are offered and implications for initial teacher education are discussed.