The School Break Paradox: Exploring Friendships in Children with ASD

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often face unique challenges when navigating the social landscape of the primary school environment, which impacts their ability to develop and maintain friendships. This study therefore investigated the relationship between the social interactions of children with ASD and their friendships by examining the total time spent in social contact during school breaks and its association with the number of incoming friendship nominations at school. A sample of 100 children aged 6 – 14 years (Mage = 10.75), which consisted of 48 children with ASD and 52 children without ASD from two special education schools participated in the study. The total time spent in social contact during school breaks was measured using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) on the playground. The number of incoming friendship nominations was recorded via peer nominations. Contrary to expectations, the results showed no significant relationship between total...Show moreChildren diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often face unique challenges when navigating the social landscape of the primary school environment, which impacts their ability to develop and maintain friendships. This study therefore investigated the relationship between the social interactions of children with ASD and their friendships by examining the total time spent in social contact during school breaks and its association with the number of incoming friendship nominations at school. A sample of 100 children aged 6 – 14 years (Mage = 10.75), which consisted of 48 children with ASD and 52 children without ASD from two special education schools participated in the study. The total time spent in social contact during school breaks was measured using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) on the playground. The number of incoming friendship nominations was recorded via peer nominations. Contrary to expectations, the results showed no significant relationship between total time of social contact and incoming friendship nominations, regardless of the ASD status. Notably, although children with ASD spent less time in social contact on average, they received a similar amount of incoming friendship nominations compared to children without ASD. These findings indicate that the link between social behavior and friendship formation in children with ASD may be more complex than assumed, and suggest that children with ASD may achieve friendships without pursuing typical patterns of social contact. Furthermore, these results suggest that quantity of social contact may not be the only determinant of friendships. Instead, factors such as the quality of this contact may further influence friendships, highlighting the need for future qualitative research.Show less

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The School Break Paradox: Exploring Friendships in Children with ASD