1. Predicting peer acceptance and peer rejection for autistic children.
- Author
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Feldman, Melanie, Hamsho, Narmene, Blacher, Jan, Carter, Alice S., and Eisenhower, Abbey
- Subjects
PEER acceptance ,AUTISTIC children ,SOCIAL skills ,SOCIAL acceptance ,PEER pressure - Abstract
Autistic students often experience peer relationship difficulties. As peer acceptance and rejection may be malleable over time, we examined predictors of change in peer acceptance and peer rejection among early elementary‐age autistic students. We followed 166 autistic children (mean age: 6.1 years [range: 4–8], 82.5% boys, grades preK‐2nd) longitudinally across 2 school years. Social skills, internalizing problems, and externalizing behaviors were considered as predictors of change in teacher‐rated peer acceptance and rejection, covarying IQ and autism characteristics. Autistic children experienced high rejection and low acceptance; 51.9% of children were rejected by peers in one or both school years. Results revealed distinct predictors for peer acceptance versus rejection: social skills predicted change in peer acceptance across school years, whereas externalizing problems predicted change in peer rejection. Internalizing problems did not predict change in either construct. Findings can assist school professionals in supporting social acceptance and acceptance for young autistic students. Practitioner points: The quality of autistic student's relationships with their peers fluctuates across time. With an understanding of the factors that uniquely influence peer acceptance and peer rejection, practitioners can identify targets for intervention to support autistic students development of positive peer relationships.An autistic student's externalizing problems play an important role in the rejection they experience from peers over time, such that autistic students with increasing externalizing behaviors are more likely to experience teasing and difficulty getting along with their peers.On the other hand, autistic students' social skills were the primary factor related to peer acceptance, suggesting that autistic students with improved social skills are better positioned to engage as an integrated, included member of the peer group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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