Friendships in Children with Williams Syndrome: Parent and Child Perspectives.
Amanda E Gillooly, Deborah M Riby, Kevin Durkin and 1 others
PMID 36399226WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of children with Williams Syndrome reported difficulties sustaining friendships due to disinhibited behaviour, social anxiety, and mismatched interests.
Children often named friends but interactions were mostly confined to school. Peer dynamics shifted as neurotypical peers gained independence.
Key findings
01Parents identified disinhibited tactile behaviour, poor personal space awareness, and social anxiety as primary barriers to friendship development.
02While all children named at least one friend, most interactions occurred within school settings, with limited play dates or contact outside school.
03Friendships with neurotypical peers became more challenging as children aged because peers gained independence and developed different interests, whereas shared interests with disabled peers sometimes facilitated connection.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Small sample size (N=21) limits generalisability. Children's responses were too short for in-depth thematic analysis, relying primarily on parental perspective for themes. No data collected on co-occurring diagnoses or anxiety levels, which may influence friendship outcomes. Discrepancy between child and parent reports on exclusion suggests potential gaps in the child's social awareness or understanding of friendship.
Declared interests
Funding provided by the University of Strathclyde. No other conflicts of interest declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a child naming a friend indicates a reciprocal or supportive relationship. Parents reported that some children believed they had best friends where the peer did not reciprocate, and most interactions were confined to school settings.