Perspectives of disabled young people with degenerative conditions on making choices with parents and peers

TY - JOUR

T1 - Perspectives of disabled young people with degenerative conditions on making choices with parents and peers

AU - Mitchell, W

PY - 2012/11

Y1 - 2012/11

N2 - English government policy advocates providing greater choice-making opportunities for service users and their families. However, there is a gap in our knowledge about the role family, especially parents, and also friends play in the choice-making processes of disabled young people. Drawing on data from an English longitudinal study, this article begins to address this gap by exploring disabled young people's shared choice-making with parents and peers. Using qualitative data from 27 interviews with disabled young people with degenerative conditions, it demonstrates that young people want to participate in making choices about their own lives but choices are often made with other people, especially parents and peers. Processes of choice-making are diverse. Parents and/or peers are involved at different stages and in varying degrees with young people depending on personal circumstances. For example, circumstances such as young people's age and experience and the type of choice and its perceived seriousness. Recognizing this complexity and the importance of a holistic approach to choice-making, the article concludes with some practice suggestions.

AB - English government policy advocates providing greater choice-making opportunities for service users and their families. However, there is a gap in our knowledge about the role family, especially parents, and also friends play in the choice-making processes of disabled young people. Drawing on data from an English longitudinal study, this article begins to address this gap by exploring disabled young people's shared choice-making with parents and peers. Using qualitative data from 27 interviews with disabled young people with degenerative conditions, it demonstrates that young people want to participate in making choices about their own lives but choices are often made with other people, especially parents and peers. Processes of choice-making are diverse. Parents and/or peers are involved at different stages and in varying degrees with young people depending on personal circumstances. For example, circumstances such as young people's age and experience and the type of choice and its perceived seriousness. Recognizing this complexity and the importance of a holistic approach to choice-making, the article concludes with some practice suggestions.

KW - ill/disabled children

KW - degenerative conditions

KW - Choice Behavior

KW - parents

KW - peers

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84862654444&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/1473325011411011

DO - 10.1177/1473325011411011

M3 - Article

VL - 11

SP - 621

EP - 643

JO - Qualitative Social Work

JF - Qualitative Social Work

IS - 6

ER -