Perceptions of friendship among girls with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Christian Ryan, Maeve Coughlan, Jean Maher, Patricia Vicario, Alison Garvey
Abstract
Friendships have a central importance in childhood and adolescence, and the friendship demands on girls with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be higher than for boys. Few previous studies have examined the experiences of friendship from the perspective of girls with ASD. A qualitative focus group methodology was used with ten adolescent girls with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD. The results indicate the high importance of friendship to the participants, with themes emerging about friendship establishment, how friendships transcend contexts, the experience of conflict in friendships, and friendship loss. The role of social media and mobile phone use on friendships was also examined. The themes that emerged in this study concur with, and elaborate on, the emerging literature on girls with ASD. The risks to friendships of school transitions and weak texting skills both emerged as potential targets for interventions to support girls with ASD during adolescence.