“Who Makes a Good Friend?” Characteristics of Peer Models for Children with Autism

Background: Children with autism suffer from poor peer relationships across their life span, regardless of age and ability. Given their poor peer relationships, researchers have employed typical age mates of children with autism as part of their social skills interventions. Despite growing research that suggests utilizing typically developing peers is a critical component in teaching social skills to children with autism, less is known about these peer models.

Objectives: This study examined the characteristics of typically developing peer models.

Methods: Participants were drawn from a randomized-controlled treatment trial in the public schools in the greater Los Angeles area that examined the effects of targeted interventions on the peer relationships and social networks of 60 elementary-aged children. Of the 838 typically developing children who consented to be in this study, 107 children (52 females and 55 males), mean age 7.92 years old (SD=1.42) were selected as peer models and participated in a 12-session 6-week intervention. All children were nominated by their teachers to be peer models for children with autism included in regular education in 1^st-5^th grade. Teachers were told to select peers who are understanding, willing to help, and patient and need not be the most popular children in the classroom. Children completed a friendship survey that was coded for children’s friends, connections, and rejections following the methods outlined in Cairns and Cairns (1994) as well as a loneliness measure that assesses feelings of loneliness in relation to a dyad or group (Hoza, Bukowski, & Beery, 2000).

Results: A descriptive analysis demonstrated that typical peer models rejected very few children in their classroom, mean = 2.36 (SD=2.50) and infrequently received rejections by other children, mean =1.09 (SD=1.32). Overall, 88.8% of the peer models were secondary or nuclear in their classroom social network ratings. A univariate analysis of variance indicated that typical peer models had significantly higher social network ratings than typically developing children who were not selected as peer models, F(1, 838) = 4.65, p<.05. In addition, a univariate analysis of variance indicated that typical peer models reported less loneliness than non-peer models, F (1, 735) = 4.15, p<.05.

Conclusions: Overall, peer models had higher social network ratings and reported fewer feelings of loneliness than non-peer model classmates. These results suggest that typical peer models for children with autism are more socially connected in their classroom and appear more self-assured in their feelings regarding relationships with others. Utilizing peer models that are more connected to other children in the classroom may be instrumental in social skills interventions for children with autism. Their social standing may influence other children’s perceptions of children with autism in terms of acceptance and social engagement.