AMANDA HYNAN FINAL THESIS PDF

Chapter 5
Discussion
5.1. Introduction
This chapter illustrates how the research objectives how been addressed by the
proposed grounded theory of internet and online social media use by young people
who use AAC. Each area of the grounded theory developed within the preceding
chapter will be discussed within the context of existing knowledge and the
significance and relevance of the contribution of this thesis will be described.
The primary purpose of the current research was to explore self-reported factors
surrounding the use of the internet and online social media by young people who use
AAC. This topic was distilled from broader concepts regarding the need to include the
views of young people with disabilities within research (Morris, 2003; Cavet &
Sloper, 2004; Farmer &Macleod, 2011) and a desire to explore the impact of
communication technology on social interaction issues from the viewpoint of young
people with complex communication needs. The research project evolved to focus on
how self-reported experiences of internet and online social media use may be
impacting on the social relationships and self-identity of young people who use AAC.
Although the literature base for the use of the internet and online social media is
broad and descriptively rich for adolescent populations, this study is distinctive in its
examination of how young people who use AAC are engaging in an online
environment as the literature base is extremely limited for this specific group (AAC-
RERC, 2011; Raghavendra et al. 2012b). As described previously the proposed theory
is grounded in the qualitative data from twenty-five interviews with people who use
AAC, three interviews with educational setting staff members, video recordings of the
interviews, participant demonstrations, field notes and policy documents (section
3.6.2.6.). The proposed grounded theory was developed by asking questions of the
nine categories that had emerged from the coding process to create a coherent story.
These questions were drawn from lecture material delivered by Graham Gibbs on the
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