e-Buddies

e-Buddies creates social inclusion and friendships for people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in a virtual space.

e-Buddies is more than a one-to-one friendship with someone in a different state or even country. e-Buddies members can attend virtual social events and participate in our e-Buddies social platform that expands friendships and creates shared experiences.

If you are involved in another Best Buddies program, you can also join e-Buddies!  Fill out the e-Buddies application to get started.

Developing Friendships in a Virtual Space

Participating in the larger e-Buddies Community

• Attending e-Buddies virtual events and engaging in the e-Buddies Community platform is a great way to continue to develop friendships virtually. In these spaces, you can interact with other e-Buddies through discussion posts, Q&As, and interest groups as well as fun events like trivia and movie nights.
  • Interact with others on e-Buddies Community! You can do this by responding to a poll question, liking, or responding to someone’s comment, joining interest groups, and more.
  • During virtual events, start conversations, answer questions, or ask the group a question by unmuting or talking in the chat. Some of the best conversations during virtual events start with a question from one of you! Review the “Suggested Conversations Starters” section for ideas.

Starting a Conversation

• As with any conversation, asking open-ended questions is a great place to start.  Some e-Buddies might still give one-word answers and may need a bit more prompting to elaborate.  Ask follow-up questions to continue the conversation.
• Most importantly, be patient and confident-remember that there is more to conversation then words.  Our e-Buddies have wonderful things that they want to communicate and with time and a little patience, you will get to know all about your friend.  Just remember to relax and enjoy the experience!
• It is very important that you set boundaries.  Sometimes you might have more time and are available for frequent conversations, and other times, not.  Let your e-Buddy know whether you are available and best times to communicate.

Suggested Conversation Starter Topics