VOlUME 05 ISSUE 03 MARCH 2022
1Petros Orfanos,2 Despoina Orfanou
1Education Advisor, Collaborative Scientific Staff, University of Athens, Greece
2Psychologist, BSc, MA
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ABSTRACT
Children with ASD are called from an early age to meet social demands and to interact with peers. This fact leads them from a very early age to face difficulties, which specifically concern the creation of social relations, the full awareness of these relations and difficulties in their social integration. Stress levels increase with age and mood disorders and secondary difficulties are often observed. They therefore end up experiencing more loneliness, compared to their normal developing classmates. The present research paper aims to investigate the levels of friendships that develop in three case studies, of a girl and two boys with ASD, after the implementation of targeted teaching interventions. In addition, a comparison of these levels is made according to the gender of the students. The interventions are compatible with the abilities and interests of the three students, so that they are functional and efficient. Development of friendships was observed in all three cases, with higher levels of conversation flow for older children, and with a stronger desire for the girl and more demands from friendships, compared to boys.
KEYWORDS:friendship, autism spectrum disorder, didactic interventions
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