Nothing Special   »   [go: up one dir, main page]
Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Peer Interaction and Loneliness in High-Functioning Children with Autism

  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Social interaction with peers and the understanding and feelings of loneliness were examined in 18 high-functioning children with autism and 17 typically developing children matched for IQ, chronological age, gender, and maternal education. Observations were conducted on children's spontaneous social initiations and responses to their peers in natural settings such as recess and snack time, and children reported on their understanding and feelings of loneliness and social interaction. Overall, children with autism revealed a good understanding of both social interaction and loneliness, and they demonstrated a high level of social initiation. However, they spent only half the time in social interactions with peers compared with their matched counterparts, and they interacted more often with a typically developing child than with another special education child. Despite the intergroup differences in frequency of interaction, a similar distribution of interactions emerged for both groups, who presented mostly positive social behaviors, fewer low-level behaviors, and very infrequent negative behaviors. Children with autism reported higher degrees of loneliness than their typical age-mates, as well as a lower association between social interaction and loneliness, suggesting their poorer understanding of the relations between loneliness and social interaction. Research and practice implications of these findings are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., rev.). Washington, DC: Author.

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: Text revision (4th ed., rev.). Washington, DC: Author.

  • Asher, S. R., Hymel, S., & Renshaw, P. D. (1984). Loneliness in children. Child Development, 55, 1456-1464.

    Google Scholar 

  • Asher, S. R., Parkhurst, J. T., Hymel, S., & Williams, G. A. (1990). Peer rejection and loneliness in childhood. In S. R. Asher, & J. D. Coie (Eds.), Peer rejection in childhood (pp. 253-273). New York: Cambridge University Pres

    Google Scholar 

  • Asher, S. R., & Wheeler, V. A. (1985). Children's loneliness: A comparison of rejected and neglected peer status. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 500-505.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bacon, A. L., Fein, D., Morris, R., Waterhouse, L., & Allen, D. (1998). The responses of autistic children of the distress of others. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 28, 129-142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauminger, N., & Kasari, C. (2000). Loneliness and friendship in high-functioning children with autism. Child Development, 71, 447-456.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauminger, N. (2002). The facilitation of social-emotional understanding and social interaction in high functioning children with autism: Intervention outcomes. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32, 283-298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bormann-Kischkel, C., Vilsmeier, M., & Baude, B. (1995). The development of emotional concept in autism. Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 36, 1243-1259.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brady, M. P., Shores, R. E., McEvoy, M. A., Ellis, D., & Fox, J. J. (1987). Increasing social interaction of severly handicapped autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 17, 375-390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgess, K. B., Ladd, G. W., Kochenderfer, B. J., Lambert, S. F., & Birch, S. H. (1999). Loneliness during early childhood: The role of interpersonal behaviors and relationships. In K. J. Rotenberg, & S. Hymel (Eds.), Loneliness in childhood and adolescence (pp. 109-134). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Capps, L., Sigman, M., & Yirmiya, N. (1995). Self-competence and emotional understanding in high-functioning children with autism. Development and Psychopathology, 7, 137-149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Capps, L., Yirmiya, N., & Sigman, M. (1992). Understanding of simple and complex emotions in non-retarded children with autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 33, 1169-1182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cassidy, J., & Asher, S. R. (1992). Loneliness and peer relations in young children. Child Development, 63, 350-365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewey, D., Lord, C., & Magill, J. (1988). Qualitative assessment of the effect of play materials in dyadic peer interactions of children with autism. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 42, 242-260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaylord-Ross, R. J., Haring, T. G., Breen, C., & Pitts-Conway, V. (1984). The training and generalization of social interaction skills with autistic youth. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 17, 229-247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez-Lopez, A., & Kamps, D. (1997). Social skills training to increase social interactions between children with autism and their typical peers. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 12, 2-14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray, C. A. (1998). Social stories and comic strip conversations with students with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism. In E. Schopler, G. Mesibov, & L. Kunce (Eds.), Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism (pp. 167-199). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadwin, J., Baron-Cohen, S., Howlin, P., & Hill, K. (1996). Can we teach children with autism to understand emotions, belief, or pretense? Development and Psychopathology, 8, 345-365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadwin, J., Baron-Cohen, S., Howlin, P., & Hill, K. (1997). Does teaching theory of mind have an effect on the ability to develop conversation in children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 27, 519-535.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hauck, M., Fein, D., Waterhouse, L., & Feinstein, C. (1995). Social initiations by autistic children to adults and other children. Journal of Austism and Developmental Disorders, 25, 579-595.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hermelin, B., & O'Connor, N. (1985). Logico-affective states and nonverbal language. In E. Schopler, & G. B. Mesibov (Eds.), Communication problems in autism (pp. 283-309). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobson, R. P. (1993). The emotional origins of social understanding. Philosophical Psychology, 6, 227-245.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaedicke, S., Storoschuk, S., & Lord, C. (1994). Subjective experience and causes of affect in high-functioning children and adolescents with autism. Development and Psychopathology, 6, 273-284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasari, C., Chamberlain, B., & Bauminger, N. (2001). Social emotions and social relationships in autism: Can children with autism compensate? In J. Burack, T. Charman, N. Yirmiya, & P. Zelazo (Eds.), Development and autism: Perspectives from theory and research. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., & Hopkins, M. J. (1986). The social behavior of autistic children with younger and same-age nonhandicapped peers. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 16, 249-262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., & Magill-Evans, J. (1995). Peer interactions of autistic children and adolescents. Development and Psychopathology, 7, 611-626.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., Rutter, M., & LeCouteur, A. (1994). Autism diagnostic interview-revised: A revised version of a diagnostic interview for caregivers of individuals with possible pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 19, 185-212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loveland, K. A., Tunali-Kotoski, B., Chen, Y. R., Ortegon, J. P. D., Brelsfrod, K. A., & Gibbs, M. C. (1997). Emotion recognition in autism:Verbal and nonverbal information. Development and Psychopathology, 9, 579-593.

    Google Scholar 

  • Margalit, M., & Levin-Alyagon, M. (1994). Learning disability subtyping, loneliness, and classroom adjustment. Learning Disability Quarterly, 17, 297-310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Odem, S. L., & Strain, P. S. (1984). Peer mediated approaches to promoting children's social interaction: A review. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 54, 544-557.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oke, N., & Schreibman, L. (1990). Training social initiations to a high functioning autistic child: Assessment of collateral behavior change and generalization in a case study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 20, 479-497.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozonoff, S., & Miller, J. N. (1995). Teaching theory of mind: A new approach to social skills training for individuals with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25, 415-433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker, J. G., Rubin, K. H., Price, J. M., & DeRosier, M. E. (1995). Peer relationships, child development, and adjustment: A developmental psychopathology perspective. In D. Cicchetti, & D. J. Cohen (Eds.), Developmental psychopathology, (pp. 96-161). New York: Wile

    Google Scholar 

  • Renshaw, P. D., & Brown, P. J. (1993). Loneliness in middle childhood: Concurrent and longitudinal predictors. Child Development, 64, 1271-1284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roeyers, H. (1996). The influence of non-handicapped peers on the social interactions of children with pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 303-320.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shores, R. L. (1987). Overview of research on social interaction: A historical and personal perspective. Behavioral Disorders, 12, 233-241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigman, M., & Ruskin, E. (1999). Continuity and change in the social competence of children with autism, Downs syndrome, and developmental delays. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 64 (1, Serial No. 256).

  • Stone, W. L., & Caro-Martinez, L. M. (1990). Naturalistic observations of spontaneous communication in autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 20, 437-453.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strain, P. S., & Kohler, F. (1998). Peer-mediated social intervention for young children with autism. Seminars in Speech and Language, 19, 391-405.

    Google Scholar 

  • Volkmar, F. R., Carter, A., Grossman, J., & Klin, A. (1997). Social development in autism. In D. J. Cohen, & F. R. Volkmar (Eds.), Handbook of autism and developmental disorders (pp. 173-194). New York: Wiley

    Google Scholar 

  • Volkmar, F., Cohen, D., Bregman, J., Hooks, M., & Stevenson, J. (1989). An examination of social typologies in autism. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 28, 82-86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (1974). WISC-R manual: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Revised. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolfberg, P. J., & Schuler, A. L. (1993). Integrated play groups: A model for promoting the social and cognitive dimensions of play in children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 23, 467-489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, R. S. (1973). Loneliness: The experience of emotional and social isolation. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zercher, C., Hunt, P., Schuler, A. L., & Webster, J. (2001). Increasing joint attention, play and language through peer supported play. Autism, 5, 374-398.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bar-Ilan University, Israel

    Nirit Bauminger & Galit Agam

  2. Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

    Cory Shulman

Authors
  1. Nirit Bauminger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cory Shulman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Galit Agam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nirit Bauminger.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bauminger, N., Shulman, C. & Agam, G. Peer Interaction and Loneliness in High-Functioning Children with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 33, 489–507 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025827427901

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025827427901

Search

Navigation