How to Be a Friend

Abstract

In Croatia, every twelfth child (0-19 years old) grows up with a developmental disability (CDD), one of seven adults is a person with a disability (PWD). Although the majority of citizens know, and a quarter of them often meet CDD and PWD, ignorance and discomfort are noticeable, as well as mistakes in everyday encounters despite good intentions. Every seventh 4th grade elementary school student thinks he/she can or is not sure if he/she can become deaf if he/she plays with a deaf child. More than a quarter of them would do what they assume is helping a blind person, without asking them if and what kind of help they need, and more than half of their parents would not communicate with a blind person in a situation that directly concerns them. The readiness of parents for their children to socialize with children with developmental disabilities decreases as the closeness and intensity of socializing increases. This was shown by the Creative Backbone Center research conducted on 582 respondents - 4th grade elementary school students and their parents, from 11/2022. until 04/2023. Less than a third of parents say that they know how to communicate with PWDs, but more than 90% of them claim that they have explained to their child how to do it. Only half of the children remembered that conversation. Numerous studies confirm that the chances of creating an inclusive society are greatest if the building of attitudes begins at an early stage of education when positive exposure changes negative attitudes in a short time and builds desirable attitudes. Students in the lower grades of elementary schools in Croatia are somewhat informed about PWDs through classes, but the problem is the application of the information obtained, which should be given much more attention.