Peer preferences and characteristics of same-group and cross-group social interactions among autistic and non-autistic adolescents.
Yu-Lun Chen, Laura L Senande, Michael Thorsen and 1 others
PMID 34169757WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic students strongly preferred interacting with other autistic peers, while non-autistic students showed no significant preference for either group.
Over five months, both groups increasingly sought out same-neurotype partners. Social interactions between autistic peers were more reciprocal and relational than those across neurotypes.
Key findings
01Autistic students showed a significantly higher likelihood of initiating interactions with autistic peers compared to non-autistic peers, whereas non-autistic students did not show a significant preference for either group.
02Over time, both autistic and non-autistic students significantly increased their responses to same-neurotype peers, indicating a strengthening preference for familiar social styles.
03Interactions between autistic students were more likely to be relational, involve sharing or offering, and show high reciprocity compared to cross-neurotype interactions, which were more often functional or tangential.
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
The sample size was very small (12 students), limiting generalizability. All autistic participants were verbal and had average or above-average intellectual functioning, so findings may not apply to non-verbal or cognitively impaired students. There was only one autistic female, preventing analysis of gender differences in autistic peer interactions. The study took place in a single school club, a supportive interest-based context, which may not reflect general classroom dynamics. Coders were non-autistic, which may have influenced how social behaviors were interpreted despite efforts to mask diagnoses.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The study was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of significant preference in non-autistic students as evidence of acceptance. The data showed non-autistic students did not significantly prefer autistic peers, and their preference for same-neurotype interactions strengthened over time, suggesting that mere exposure in a club setting did not overcome the interpersonal mismatch.