Atypical social communication is associated with positive initial impressions among peers with autism spectrum disorder - Jessica E Granieri, Morgan L McNair, Alan H Gerber, Rebecca F Reifler, Matthew D Lerner, 2020
Atypical social communication is a key indicator of autism spectrum disorder and has long been presumed to interfere with friendship formation and first impress...
Findings suggest that, contrary to typically developing individuals, several forms of atypical communication among youth with autism spectrum disorder are associated with more positive first impressions by others with autism spectrum disorder. This suggests that interventions designed to increase friendships among youth with autism spectrum disorder may benefit from reframing their approach to addressing atypical social communication.
We found that differences in social communication (particularly, eye contact and facial expressions) led to better first impressions as rated by peers with autism spectrum disorder. These results suggest that differences in social communication may not simply be a deficit for youth; rather they may actually help build friendships among peers with autism spectrum disorder. This is important because current social skills interventions generally aim to reduce social communication differences, which may have negative consequences for friendships between peers with autism spectrum disorder.