scholarly journals Self-perception of friendship style: Young adults with and without autism spectrum disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 239694151985539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erinn H Finke ◽  
Jillian H McCarthy ◽  
Natalie A Sarver
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Relative Ease ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis ◽  
Similarities And Differences

Background It has been reported that people on the autism spectrum have difficulty making and maintaining friendships. Congruence of perspective on friendships and friendship practices may affect the frequency and intensity of friendships, but this is not well understood. Aims The aims of the current project were to identify the similarities and differences in the broad perspectives and friendship practices of young adults with and without autism. Method and procedures Young adults with and without autism between the ages of 18 and 24 years completed an online survey to determine the friendship preferences that most define the perspectives of young adults with autism. Outcomes and results The results identified primarily differences in the broad perspectives and friendship practices of young adults with and without autism spectrum disorder, which may provide a context for understanding the values and priorities that need to be considered as two people (whether they have an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis or not) embark on a new potential friendship, and may help people with autism (as well as clinicians, educators, and caregivers) understand why some friendships flounder and others are established and maintained with relative ease.

Prevalence and Frequency of Online Sexual Activity by Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Sandra Byers ◽  
Shana Nichols
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sexual Identity ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Sexuality Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Sexual Activities

We examined the prevalence and frequency with which cognitively able adults (141 men, 190 women) with autism spectrum disorder (CA-ASD) engaged in a range of online sexual activities (OSAs). Participants completed an online survey that assessed their recent involvement in nonarousal (Information Seeking, Chatting), solitary-arousal (S-OSA), and partnered-arousal (P-OSA) online sexual activities. Almost two thirds had engaged in one or more OSA but, on average, had done so infrequently. There were only a few differences based on sex, age, and sexual identity. Significantly more men than women had engaged in Information Seeking and S-OSA and had done so more frequently. Individuals in their 20s were significantly more likely to have engaged in Information Seeking. Sexual-minority individuals were more likely to report engaging in P-OSA than were heterosexual individuals. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for sexuality education aimed at assisting adults with CA-ASD to establish a healthy and meaningful sexuality.

Effects of a Robot Peer on the Acquisition and Observational Learning of Sight Words in Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 284-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Nasser Saadatzi ◽  
Robert C. Pennington ◽  
Karla C. Welch ◽  
James H. Graham
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Observational Learning ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sight Words ◽  
Tutoring System ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Young Adults With Autism ◽  
Target Words

The authors of the current investigation developed and evaluated the effects of a tutoring system based on a small-group arrangement to two young adults with autism spectrum disorder on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of sight words. The tutoring system was comprised of a virtual teacher to instruct sight words, and a humanoid robot which adopted a peer metaphor, where its function was to act as an emulated peer. With the introduction of the robot peer (RP), the traditional dyadic interaction in tutoring systems was augmented to a novel triadic interaction in order to enrich the social content of the learning environment and to facilitate observational learning (OL). The virtual teacher implemented a constant time delay strategy to instruct three types of sight words: (a) target words exclusive to the participant, (b) target words common between the participant and the RP, and (c) nontarget words exclusive to the RP. In order to examine the efficacy of intervention, a multiple-probe design across three word sets, replicated across two participants, was utilized. Results indicated that both participants acquired, generalized, and maintained target words with 100% accuracy. Furthermore, the participants made fewer errors and required less instruction time to learn the words common between the participants and the RP. Finally, the participants acquired, through OL, the majority of words taught exclusively to the RP.

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