Using Parent-Supervised Play Dates to Improve Peer Relationships for Elementary School Children with HFASD

Play dates are ubiquitous and important events that help neurotypical children develop best friendships as well as solidly friendships at school. This presentation will discuss how parents can be trained to use play dates to develop and enhance the friendships of children with HFASD. It will review research with elementary school aged children with ASD on: (1) measuring play date success, (2) how play dates are related to peer interaction at school, (3) elements of a 12-session intervention aimed at developing skills needed to have successful play dates, and (4) the subsequent changes produced by this intervention upon play dates 3-year after the intervention. The limitations of this approach will be discussed with an eye toward further refining intervention techniques.