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Peer Buddies in the Classroom: The Effects on Spontaneous Conversations in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

Background

To date, research on spontaneous social interactions in mixed and non-mixed groups has not included exchanges with peer buddies.

Object

In Study 1, socio-cognitive factors associated with the intention to volunteer to become a peer buddy for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were investigated. In Study 2, spontaneous social interactions in adolescents with ASD and a low level of support with selected peer buddies and with other students were compared.

Method

In Study 1, social-cognitive abilities were investigated through the use of self-report questionnaires. Among typically developing students, their willingness to spontaneously volunteer to help a classmate with ASD was evaluated. Moreover, students were required to indicate among their classmates who were competent to volunteer and who were not. In Study 2, social interaction behaviors in mixed and non-mixed groups were observed and opportunely codified.

Results

In Study 1, students expressing the intention to volunteer obtained higher scores on empathy scale and displayed more positive attitudes towards ASD than other classmates. Volunteers were, in turn, selected as peer buddies by their classmates. In Study 2, when students interacted with selected peer buddies engaged in the highest number of social positive interaction behaviors than they did in other kinds of groups. The worst social interactions were observed in non-mixed groups.

Conclusions

Social behavior displayed by students with ASD appeared strongly influenced by social partners. Students with ASD seemed to more positively benefit from interactions with selected peer buddies compared to other mixed and non-mixed groups.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their deep gratitude to students, parents, and teachers who participated in research and to principals and all the staff of the schools involved.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza, via dei Marsi, 78, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Fiorenzo Laghi, Antonia Lonigro & Roberto Baiocco

  2. Department of Education, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy

    Susanna Pallini

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  1. Fiorenzo Laghi
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  2. Antonia Lonigro
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  3. Susanna Pallini
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  4. Roberto Baiocco
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Correspondence to Fiorenzo Laghi.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional Sapienza University of Rome and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Laghi, F., Lonigro, A., Pallini, S. et al. Peer Buddies in the Classroom: The Effects on Spontaneous Conversations in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Child Youth Care Forum 47, 517–536 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-018-9449-y

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