Canterbury Christ Church University, United Kingdom.
Canterbury Christ Church University, United Kingdom.
Res Dev Disabil. 2017 Nov;70:22-32. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2017.08.006. Epub 2017 Sep 1.
Research shows that adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience difficulties developing friendships, and that loneliness is a significant factor contributing to higher incidence of anxiety and depression within this population.
This study aimed to provide an in-depth analysis of relationships as described by adolescents with ASD, and, from these descriptions, to explore what can be inferred about the development of successful interpersonal relationships for these individuals.
Eight adolescents with ASD participated in semi-structured interviews using established personal construct theory (PCT) techniques.
PCT was found to be a helpful approach to elicit rich, qualitative data. A thematic analysis identified four themes: relationships as a source of support, perceptions of similarity and difference, valued qualities in self and others, and the development and maintenance of relationships.
Whilst this exploratory study highlighted some commonality in terms of perceptions of family support and friendships as protective and desirable, participants differed in their ability to establish and maintain peer relationships. Participants valued personal qualities such as intelligence, humour and trust within relationships, and recognised the important role of peers and siblings in the development of social skills, a finding which has implications for the delivery of social skills training and other interventions. The study provides empirical support for the application of personal construct methodologies in ASD research and offers a potentially useful approach to therapeutic intervention.
研究表明，自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）青少年在发展友谊方面存在困难，孤独是导致该人群焦虑和抑郁发生率较高的一个重要因素。
本研究旨在深入分析 ASD 青少年所描述的人际关系，并从这些描述中探讨可以推断出这些个体成功建立人际关系的发展情况。
8 名 ASD 青少年参与了使用既定的个人建构理论（PCT）技术的半结构化访谈。
PCT 被发现是一种有用的方法，可以引出丰富的定性数据。主题分析确定了四个主题：关系是支持的来源、相似性和差异性的感知、自我和他人的有价值的品质、关系的发展和维持。
虽然这项探索性研究强调了家庭支持和友谊作为保护和理想因素的一些共性，但参与者在建立和维持同伴关系方面的能力存在差异。参与者重视人际关系中的个人品质，如智力、幽默和信任，并认识到同伴和兄弟姐妹在发展社交技能方面的重要作用，这一发现对社交技能培训和其他干预措施的实施具有重要意义。该研究为 ASD 研究中个人建构方法的应用提供了实证支持，并为治疗干预提供了一种潜在有用的方法。
