{"id":1494,"date":"2022-10-06T13:17:59","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T12:17:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/autism-at-manchester\/?p=1494"},"modified":"2022-10-06T20:21:56","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T19:21:56","slug":"exploring-autistic-friendships-at-school-reflecting-on-setting-up-supportive-environments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/autism-at-manchester\/2022\/10\/06\/exploring-autistic-friendships-at-school-reflecting-on-setting-up-supportive-environments\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring autistic friendships at school & reflecting on setting up supportive environments"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Research team:<\/strong> Charlotte Butter, Charlotte Alcock, Emily Randolph, Sarah Spurr, Alexandra Sturrock and Kathy Leadbitter<\/p>\n

The research team are from The University of Manchester and the Paediatric Speech & Language Therapy Team, Manchester NHS Foundation Trust (MFT)<\/p>\n

Background<\/h2>\n

A Patient & Public Involvement & Engagement (PPIE) project<\/h3>\n

Autism is a common form of neurodiversity (Kapp, 2020), typified by differences in social communication (DSM-5, 2022), which can impact upon interactions & friendships, particularly with people of a different neurotype (Williams et al., 2021). Positive friendships have been shown to increase self-esteem & reduce feelings of anxiety and depression (Buhrmester, 1990). However, autistic children are often unable to reap these benefits, reporting higher rates of loneliness & poorer quality friendships (Capps et al., 1996). Friendships with other autistic individuals are considered more accessible & easier to sustain (Crompton et al., 2020) increasing support networks, feelings of acceptance & self-awareness (Milton & Sims, 2016). However, opportunities to develop these friendships do not always occur naturally in childhood.<\/p>\n

To date, few programmes have targeted the social communication needs of autistic teenagers (Marriage et al., 1995). MFT aimed to address that gap with a training package enabling schools to host social groups for adolescents. The training entailed two teacher-focused sessions (\u2018Autism from the other end of the lens\u2019 & \u2018Skills, ideas, resources & tips for setting up groups\u2019) & one parent-focused session (\u2018Connect & continue positive relationships beyond school\u2019). Ultimately, training could facilitate school-based social groups offering tailored but naturalistic environments for individuals to make friends & develop social communication confidence.<\/p>\n

This PPIE project aimed to explore the lived-experiences of autistic young people in their attempts to make friends in school & sought their opinion on developing relevant and acceptable training materials (in line with co-production techniques, Farr et al., 2021)<\/p>\n

What did we do?
<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We contacted local groups for autistic people by email & shared information about the PPIE project on social media. Interested people filled out an online form about themselves. We were aiming for a representative mix of ages, genders & ethnicities. We chose volunteers aged 16-25 as they could reflect on recent school experiences that were likely to be similar to experiences of current pupils. Volunteers’ consent was gained & they were happy for us to share anonymised quotes. Ethics was not acquired as this was a PPIE project rather than a research project. Staff & students from The University of Manchester interviewed volunteers online by video, chat or written form. Transcripts of interviews were analysed thematically to find common themes – experiences or ideas that were shared by several volunteers.<\/p>\n

Who took part?
<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Infographic30 people signed up and 15 participated.<\/p>\n

14 were White, 1 was Black African or Caribbean British.<\/p>\n

10 were female, 5 were male.<\/p>\n

Ages 16 – 24.<\/p>\n

What did our volunteers tell us?<\/h2>\n

\"AFindings showed that the opinions of autistic young people were essential in developing a resource & training package for teenagers in schools. Themes from the analysis showed a need for specific physical environments, certain structures for activities & an inclusive attitude of facilitators. They also indicated a need for unforced, naturalistic opportunities for developing social interactions & friendships (see below for more details). Findings also indicated that training for professionals running the groups should include autistic people telling their story. Content should also include: training about variation in presentation & preferences between autistic individuals, especially in less well recognised groups (e.g., in girls), the effects of anxiety, differences in friendship motivation, managing the sensory environment & neurodiversity acceptance.<\/p>\n

Intimate spaces<\/h3>\n