Title

From being bullied to being accepted: The lived experiences of a student with Asperger’s enrolled in a Christian university

School/Department

School of Education

Publication Date

10-2015

Abstract

Thirteen participants from two private universities located in the western region of the United States shared their lived experiences of being a college student who does not request accommodations. In one’s educational pursuit, bullying is often experienced. While the rates of bullying have increased, students with disabilities are more likely to be bullied. This article chronicles key incidents through the educational journey of a college student with Asperger’s syndrome enrolled in a Christian university. Incidents of bullying, aggression, retaliation, and forgiveness underlie this article. Recursive analysis was used to analyze qualitative data from semi-structured interviews. Initial codes were combined to create interconnected families of codes. A second level of analysis resulted in seven spaces in which participants describe their lived experiences. Findings suggest participants experience various tensions, ranging from incompatible options to competing perspectives, as they negotiate their identity. Implications for effective school-home collaboration are addressed.

Keywords

Asperger's syndrome; Bullying

Publication Title

International Journal of Christianity & Education

Volume

19

Issue

3

First Page

240

Last Page

259

DOI of Published Version

10.1177/2056997115602991

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS