Parent Perceptions of Barriers to Friendship Development for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

This current study explores parent perceptions of barriers to friendship development for highly verbal children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in mainstream academic settings. Participants were 10 parents of school-age children with ASD in mainstream classrooms. Findings from semistructured interviews and qualitative analysis pointed to five central themes regarding barriers to friendship development: propinquity, attempts at social exposure, common social problems within ASD, siblings as a protective factor, and parent networks. Results suggest parent networks among parents with mainstreamed children may help to facilitate social opportunities both in and out of school. Further investigation is needed to explore possible solutions to help parents to better support friendship development