The Friendship Project *
The Friendship Project is a series of videos and written materials (including Easy Read) for people with intellectual disability, made by and with people with disability about making and keeping friends.
* Supported by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.
About
DDWA launched The Friendship Project series of videos in 2023, having started in 2021 with an ILC funded grant initiative, designed to help young people with intellectual disability build skills and the confidence to make positive friendships.
Online learning materials for The Friendship Project - videos and easy read publications - are now available HERE.
Over the course of 2021-2023, DDWA developed a series of online video resources co-designed with a reference group of young people with intellectual disability about some of the issues and challenges faced in making and growing friendships.
For more information
Contact DDWA on (08) 9420 7203.
People with intellectual disability often face some significant barriers to making and keeping friends, and may experience loneliness and social isolation. Friends enrich your life and improve your mental health and ability to bounce back from many of life’s challenges, but good friends and social connection can be hard to come by. So, how can we make and keep friends?
This project provides helpful resources to support people to make and keep friends.
Some themes we explored
Ideas on 'How to make friends'
When meeting someone... Ask questions like:
'Do you want to go out for food? Yes. What do you like?'... (They could be vegetarian and you don’t know unless you ask them)
Some hard things about making friends:
'Its difficult to make friends because I’m shy and I’m scared of rejection. I like the other person to make the first move'... I find it difficult to find the right words to say'.
Some places where people have made friends:
'We met at horse riding classes which then progressed to a coffee meet up. We kept in touch via text'.... 'I have made friends through dancing'.... 'at the dog park'.
You know they want to be your friend because they want to stay with you, they want to listen.
BACKGROUND:
The Ideas Group
The Ideas Group was formed in July 2021 at the start of The Friendship Project, and met regularly over the course of time to help develop the video series content.
During these meetings people with intellectual disability shared their ideas about how to make and keep friends.
These ideas were made into a series of videos and supporting resources about Friendship.
The resources are now available HERE: https://ddwa.org.au/online-learning-directory/the-friendship-project
Friendship Project Events
When there is an event coming up, it will be advertised here.
Events are free.
If an event is advertised, you can register online via the event page or call DDWA on (08) 9420 7203.
People over 18 years of age with an intellectual disability can register to be a part of the 'On the Couch' group: https://ddwa.org.au/our-projects/on-the-couch-group.
'On the Couch' group sessions provide the opportunity for adults with an intellectual disability to talk about set topics of interest in a safe social setting.
Currently there are no Friendship Project events.