Perceived Loneliness in Autistic Children in School: Relation to Social Connectedness on the Playground During Recess Before and After a Playground Adaptation: Loneliness in autistic children: Playground Connectedness

The current study aimed to examine, to what extent perceived loneliness of autistic pupils in school is related to social connectedness on playground during recess, before and after a playground adaptation, and to what extent a schoolyard adaptation may affect social connectedness on the playground during recess, and how this change is related to a change in perceived loneliness. By redesigning the playground where children spend their recess time, with a focus on fostering an inclusive social environment, the potential promotion of social connectedness and its impact on autistic pupils was investigated. This approach considers the influence of the physical environment and playground design, since there is limited literature because previous research has primarily focused on autistic children's perceived lack of social skills, which may contribute to feelings of loneliness. The research design was longitudinal and it consisted of two timepoints; before and after the playground...Show moreThe current study aimed to examine, to what extent perceived loneliness of autistic pupils in school is related to social connectedness on playground during recess, before and after a playground adaptation, and to what extent a schoolyard adaptation may affect social connectedness on the playground during recess, and how this change is related to a change in perceived loneliness. By redesigning the playground where children spend their recess time, with a focus on fostering an inclusive social environment, the potential promotion of social connectedness and its impact on autistic pupils was investigated. This approach considers the influence of the physical environment and playground design, since there is limited literature because previous research has primarily focused on autistic children's perceived lack of social skills, which may contribute to feelings of loneliness. The research design was longitudinal and it consisted of two timepoints; before and after the playground adaptation. The sample consisted of 50 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, aged from 6-12, from a special education school. The Children’s Loneliness Scale (CLS) was used as an instrument (Asher & Wheeler, 1985) to measure loneliness levels and in order to measure social connectedness, three RFID (proximity sensors) variables were taken into account; number of partners, interaction time, closeness centrality. The research indicated that the loneliness levels in autistic children during recess were particularly low and the relation to social connectedness was insignificant. After the playground adaptation, autistic children demonstrated almost the same levels of perceived loneliness and higher levels of interaction time and closeness centrality and a lower number in the number of partners.Show less

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Perceived Loneliness in Autistic Children in School: Relation to Social Connectedness on the Playground During Recess Before and After a Playground Adaptation: Loneliness in autistic children: Playground Connectedness