"I need them for my autism, but I don't know why": Exploring the friendship experiences of autistic children in UK primary schools.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Autistic children can experience challenges in making and maintaining friendships, and middle childhood (ages 6-12) may be particularly challenging as social networks become more complex. However, a large proportion of research into these experiences is based on adult reports or focuses on the experiences of adolescents, meaning that the voices of younger children are absent. Due to the exclusion of younger children from research, we have a limited understanding of their first-hand experiences of their friendships and the support they receive, which has implications for friendship support and wellbeing. This study aimed to amplify the voices of younger autistic children to explore their first-hand experiences of friendships and highlight areas of social support

SUBMITTER: Fox L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11378229 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature