The experiences of friendship of male adolescents with autism spectrum disorders

• Main Author: Avellana, Marie Elaine F.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2018
• Subjects: Autism spectrum disorders; Children with autism spectrum disorders
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/5561
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study presented accounts of male adolescent with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) regarding the experiences of friendship. Five teenagers, who met the participation criteria, were interviewed. Obtained responses were examined using thematic analysis and cross-analysis. Results yielded that male adolescents with ASD go through three phases of friendship formation. This include prearranged initiating, connecting with perceived interesting peers and expanding social circle. Maintenance of friendship, however, is achieved by keeping memories. Further, participants also encountered conflicts in their friendship in the form of disagreements, physical and verbal aggression, rejection, difficulty tolerating other's behaviors and violation of rights. Accordingly, they resort to healthy or unhealthy resolutions. The identified healthy resolutions that participants engage in are accepting apology, seeking help from others, terminating and taking lightly of things. Conversely, being passive and unknowingly resolving conflict were found to be their unhealthy resolutions to conflicts in their friendships. Despite these conflicts in their friendship, participants also recognize the benefits of their friendship. This entails being compatible with someone, helping each other, having someone to spend quality time with, being good to each other and being loyal and harmonious. The implications of the findings were discussed and recommendations were made.