UC San Diego

How do youth with orthopedic impairments negotiate expectations and experiences as they transition from high school to college and from family-delivered supports to independence? And what in the earlier periods of their individual development/family life provides the context and frameworks for their negotiation of transition to adulthood? The primary goal of this study was to better understand the identity development of this subset of disabled youth. Data were collected through youth and parent interviews, focus groups, and participant observation at a local mentoring program for disabled youth, more specifically, youth with orthopedic impairments. The researcher's status as a disabled person provided the benefit of insider access. Several questions guided the research: What influences disabled youths' view of themselves? What discursive frameworks shape these views? How does the negotiation of physical and social barriers impact the relationships disabled youth develop? How do social barriers affect youths' development of agency? Findings suggest that conceptions of disability have strong influence on the way youth view themselves; common disability discourses relating to normalcy and independence make claiming disability identity difficult; physical and social barriers require youth to use unique strategies in the development of relationships; and, disabled youth often do not find sufficient support in developing agency. Implications include incorporating critical disability studies into teacher education and in K-12 curriculum (and not isolated to special education contexts), recognizing bias and examining efforts to enforce norms, fostering classroom practices that promote seeing capability and support agency, and establishing strong mentorship relationships between disabled adults and youth