Parent Support of Preschool Peer Relationships in Younger Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Preschool-aged siblings of children with ASD are at high-risk (HR) for ASD and related challenges, but little is known about their emerging peer competence and friendships. Parents are the main providers of peer-relationship opportunities during preschool. Understanding parental challenges supporting early peer relationships is needed for optimal peer competence and friendships in children with ASD. We describe differences in peer relationships among three groups of preschool-aged children (15 HR-ASD, 53 HR-NonASD, 40 low-risk, LR), and examine parent support activities at home and arranging community-based peer activities. Children with ASD demonstrated precursors to poor peer competence and friendship outcomes. Parents in the HR group showed resilience in many areas, but providing peer opportunities for preschool-age children with ASD demanded significant adaptations.

A conceptual model of risk and protective factors associated with internalizing symptoms in autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review, synthesis, and call for more research

“…In adults with ASD, the quality and quantity of peer relationships was inversely related to loneliness and, in a separate model the number of peer relationships was associated with internalizing symptoms (Micah O Mazurek, 2014). In preschool-aged children with ASD who also had a sibling with ASD, having no peers was associated with significantly higher levels of internalizing scores on the CBCL relative to children with no diagnosis of ASD and siblings of children with an ASD diagnosis who themselves had no diagnosis (Estes et al, 2018). These results highlight the protective effect positive peer relationships have on emotional functioning throughout development for people with ASD.…”

Beyond Social Skills: Supporting Peer Relationships and Friendships for School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Even as early as preschool age, parents report that their children with ASD have playmates and share many of the necessary precursors to forming school-aged friendships. 8 Many school-aged children and adolescents with ASD have friends with whom they share interests and activities according to a variety of sources: parent report, self-report, and teacher report. [9][10][11][12] In adolescence, children with ASD and typically developing (TD) peers note intimacy and security as important qualities of friendships.…”

The Scientific Study of Parents and Caregivers of Children with ASD: A Flourishing Field but Still Work to be Done

“…The studies have relatively large sample sizes and investigate interesting and important areas such as potentially protective factors against distress for caregivers (Lindsey and Barry 2018) and association between resilience and well-being of mothers of ASD and other developmental disabilities (Halstead et al 2018). Another study addresses Parental challenges in supporting peer-relationships for their children with ASD showing that there are parent resilience factors but high demands in providing good peer opportunities for their preschool children (Estes et al 2017).…”