Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations.
The purpose of this study is to obtain deeper understanding of the challenges that young adults with autism spectrum disorder endure in their pursuit of establishing friendships. A mixed-methods study design was used. Participants were interviewed and completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Results showed that the participants still showed autistic traits, although each AQ component was similar to the norms. Three themes were emerged from the interview: intrinsic value of friendship, friendship as a partnership,
Primary Author and Speaker: Megan C. Chang
Additional Authors and Speakers: Evelyn Lechner, Megan Leu, Julianne Maraccini, Carrie Oxaal, and Jessica Patterson
PURPOSE: Existing literature has focused on social interventions for children and adolescents and yet young adults with ASD continue to experience social deficits that impair their ability to develop and maintain friendships (Gantman, et al., 2012). Gantman et al. (2012) conducted a randomized control trial in young adults with ASD. They found that after 16-week social skill interventions, loneliness was reduced while social skills knowledge was improved significantly. However, it is unclear how these knowledge gain translates to social participation and friendship development. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to obtain deeper understanding of the challenges that young adults with ASD endure in their pursuit of establishing friendships. Specifically, this study explored their lived experiences as well as characteristics of friendship quality, social networks, and social participation of this population.
DESIGN: Mixed method study design.
METHODS: Narrative semi-structured interviews were conducted on individuals with ASD between the aged of 18 and 27. Participants also completed a demographic survey and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ; Baron-Cohen et al., 2001), which were conducted on Qualtrics, an online password-protected website. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded by at least two investigators before grouping them into categories and margining into themes. Audit trail, triangulation and peer review were used to ensure trustworthiness. AQ is a standardized assessment that is used to examined whether these young adults with autism with average intelligence may still show autism spectrum conditions. AQ includes five components: communication, attention to detail, social skills, imagination, and attention switching.
RESULTS: At the time of data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic, three individuals completed the study. They were diagnosed with ASD by a physician at age 3, 6, and 15. They all received interventions: One received OT and PT, one participant received behavioral therapy, and one participant received speech therapy. For AQ, total score from these participants was significantly lowered than the norm, indicating autistic traits. However, they scored similarly with the norm when examining each AQ component (described in the Methods). From the interviews, the following categories were grouped from codes: social networks, conceptualization of friendship, experience of being a friend, friendship by convenience, and self-reflection. Three themes were emerged: intrinsic value of friendship, friendship as a partnership, and self-concepts about friendships.
CONCLUSION AND IMPACT STATEMENT: The themes arose as key concepts present in this population's ideation about friendship. Despite prompting, the participants mentioned few barriers they face for social interaction, which included delayed speech development, difficulty being outgoing, and geographical differences. Instead, all participants placed an emphasis on mutual trust and favorable attributes when discussing friendships. Additionally, all participants discussed meeting some of their friends in a school setting as well as engaging in some sort of games with their friends as a pastime activity. Results from this study help the therapists understand the hindrance for social participation and consider these factors when developing social participation program. Results from this study may also help counselors or advisors to help individuals with ASD transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. To provide a comprehensive approach, future studies need to examine the common factors and barriers young adults with ASD experience and whether or not other social emotional factors related to such barriers.
References
Gantman, A., Kapp, S. K., Orenski, K., & Laugeson, E. A. (2012). Social skills training for young adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders: A randomized controlled pilot study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 1094-1103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1350-6
Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Skinner, R., Martin, J., & Clubley, E. (2001). The autism-spectrum (AQ): Evidence from Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism, males and females, scientists, and mathematicians. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(1), 5-17.
