Azad Gazi F, Locke Jill, Kasari Connie, Mandell David S
University of Pennsylvania, USA
University of Washington, USA.
Autism. 2017 Jan;21(1):92-99. doi: 10.1177/1362361315627792. Epub 2016 Mar 10.
Race is associated with social relationships among typically developing children; however, studies rarely examine the impact of race on social outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder. This study examined how race (African American, Latino, Asian, or White) in conjunction with disability status (autism spectrum disorders or typically developing) and grade (grades K-2 or 3-5) affects friendships and social networks. The sample comprises 85 children with autism spectrum disorders and 85 typically developing controls matched on race, gender, age/grade, and classroom (wherever possible). Race, disability, and grade each had an independent effect on friendship nominations, and there was an interaction among the three variables. Specifically, children with autism spectrum disorders who were African American or Latino in the upper elementary grades received fewer friendship nominations than typically developing White children in the lower elementary grades. Only the presence of autism spectrum disorders was associated with social network centrality. Our results also suggested that Latino children with autism spectrum disorders in the upper elementary grades were at the highest risk of social isolation. Implications for re-conceptualizing social skills interventions are discussed.
种族与发育正常儿童的社会关系相关；然而，很少有研究考察种族对自闭症谱系障碍儿童社会结果的影响。本研究探讨了种族（非裔美国人、拉丁裔、亚裔或白人）与残疾状况（自闭症谱系障碍或发育正常）以及年级（幼儿园至二年级或三年级至五年级）如何影响友谊和社交网络。样本包括85名自闭症谱系障碍儿童和85名发育正常的对照儿童，他们在种族、性别、年龄/年级和班级（尽可能匹配）方面相互匹配。种族、残疾状况和年级对友谊提名均有独立影响，且这三个变量之间存在交互作用。具体而言，小学高年级的非裔美国或拉丁裔自闭症谱系障碍儿童获得的友谊提名比小学低年级发育正常的白人儿童少。只有自闭症谱系障碍的存在与社交网络中心性相关。我们的结果还表明，小学高年级的拉丁裔自闭症谱系障碍儿童面临社会隔离的风险最高。文中讨论了对重新概念化社交技能干预的启示。
