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

Annette Estes1,2, Jeffrey Munson3, Tanya St John4

  • 1Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. estesa@uw.edu.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|June 22, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) need support for peer relationships. Parents face challenges adapting activities to foster friendships for high-risk (HR) children with ASD.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Background:

  • Preschool siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at high risk (HR) for ASD and related developmental challenges.
  • Limited understanding exists regarding the peer competence and friendship development in these high-risk siblings.
  • Parents play a crucial role in facilitating peer relationship opportunities for young children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in peer relationships among preschool-aged children at high risk for ASD (HR-ASD), high risk but not ASD (HR-NonASD), and low risk (LR).
  • To examine the parent support activities at home and the arrangement of community-based peer activities for these groups.
  • To understand the challenges parents face in supporting early peer relationships for children with ASD.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative study of three groups: HR-ASD (n=15), HR-NonASD (n=53), and LR (n=40) preschool-aged children.
  • Assessment of peer relationship precursors and friendship outcomes.
  • Analysis of parent-reported home support activities and community-based peer activity arrangements.

Main Results:

  • Children with ASD exhibited precursors indicating potential difficulties in peer competence and friendship development.
  • Parents in the high-risk groups demonstrated resilience in various aspects of support.
  • Facilitating peer opportunities for preschool-aged children with ASD required significant adaptations from parents.

Conclusions:

  • Early peer competence and friendship outcomes may be compromised in children with ASD.
  • Parental support and adaptation are critical for fostering peer relationships in high-risk children, especially those with ASD.
  • Further research is needed to develop effective strategies for enhancing peer competence in young children with ASD and their siblings.

Keywords:
AutismHigh riskParentPeer relationsPreschoolSibling

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