The Beginning of Friendship—Friendship In Preschoolers with HFASD: New Evidence and Implications

Stable friendships that are based on mutual affection and provide emotional support have been well documented for typically developing preschoolers. Also, interactions with friends reveal greater social complexity than interactions with acquaintances. We know very little about peer relations and friendship in young children with ASD. Likewise, friendship development is a neglected aim in early interventions. In this presentation, current knowledge on peer relations in preschoolers with ASD will be reviewed, and innovative data on friendship evolvement and characteristics in this population will be presented, based on semi-structured and spontaneous observations of children’s interactions with a friend versus non-friend partner, as well as based on parents’ and teacher’s reports. Research gaps and new research trends will be discussed.