Exploring the potential for social networking among people with autism: challenging dominant ideas of ‘friendship’

Charlotte Brownlow; Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist; Lindsay O’Dell

doi:10.1080/15017419.2013.859174

Exploring the potential for social networking among people with autism: challenging dominant ideas of ‘friendship’

Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research

Volume 17 (2015): Issue 2

By: Charlotte Brownlow, Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist and Lindsay O’Dell

Open Access

|Nov 2015

Abstract

Within dominant approaches to autism and relationships, people with autism are assumed to be either unable to form relationships or are in need for educational interventions to be better equipped at managing relationships in a social world dominated by non-autistic people (neurotypicals). In this paper, we argue that broader constructions of friendship are needed in order to best account for the desire and abilities of high-functioning people with autism to have satisfying friendships and that the engagement with online social networking may provide a useful tool in achieving this.

References

APA (American Psychiatric Association) 2013. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Washington, DC: APA.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Armstrong, T. 2010. Neurodiversity. Discovering the Extraordinary Gifts of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Brain Differences. Philadelphia: Da Capo Press.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bagatell, N. 2007. “Orchestrating Voices: Autism, Identity and the Power of Discourse.” Disability & Society 22 (4): 413–426. doi:10.1080/09687590701337967.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bauminger, N., M. Solomon, and S. J. Rogers. 2010. “Predicting Friendship Quality in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Typical Development.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 85: 751–761. doi:10.1007/s10803-009-0928-8.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Berndt, T. J. 1999. “Friends’ Influence on Students’ Adjustment to School.” Educational Psychologist 34: 15–28. doi:10.1207/s15326985ep3401_2.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, H., C. Brownlow, and L. O'Dell. 2013. “Mapping the Social Geographies of Autism – On- and Off-line Narratives of Neuro-shared and Separate Spaces.” Disability & Society 28 (3): 367–379. doi:10.1080/09687599.2012.714257.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Brownlow, C. 1997. “The Construction of the Autistic Individual: Investigations in Online Discussion Groups.” PhD diss., University of Brighton.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Burman, Erica. 2008. Deconstructing Developmental Psychology. 2nd ed. Hove: Routledge.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Chamberlain, B., C. Kasari, and E. Rotheram-Fuller. 2007. “Involvement or Isolation? The Social Networks of Children with Autism in Regular Classrooms.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorder 37: 230–242. doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0164-4.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Chen, E. 2010. Using Facebook for Aspies. Accessed February 8, 2011. http://iautistic.com.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Davidson, J., and M. Orsini. 2013. Worlds of Autism: Across the Spectrum of Neurological Difference. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Frankel, F., and C. Whitham. 2011. “Parent-assisted Group Treatment for Friendship Problems of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.” Brain Research 22: 240–245. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2010.09.047.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Freeman, S. F. N., and C. Kasari. 1998. “Friendships in Children with Developmental Disabilities.” Early Education and Development 9: 341–355. doi:10.1207/s15566935eed0904_2.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Gerland, Gunilla. 2004. Autism: Relationer Och Sexualitet [Autism: Relationships and Sexuality]. Stockholm: Cura.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hartup, W. W., and N. Stevens. 1999. “Friendships and Adaptation Across the Life Span.” Current Directions in Psychological Science 8: 76–79. doi:10.1111/1467-8721.00018.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Howard, B., E. Cohn, and G. I. Orsmond. 2006. “Understanding and Negotiating Friendships. Perspectives from an Adolescent with Asperger Syndrome.” Autism 10: 619–627. doi:10.1177/1362361306068508.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jones, R. S. P., and T. O. Meldal. 2001. “Social Relationships and Asperger's Syndrome.” Journal of Learning Disabilities 5: 35–41.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kasari, C., J. Locke, A. Gulsrud, and E. Rotheram-Fuler. 2011. “Social Networks and Friendships at School: Comparing Children with and without ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 41: 533–544. doi:10.1007/s10803-010-1076-x.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lawson, Wendy. 2006. Friendships The Aspie Way. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Locke, J., E. H. Ishijima, C. Kasari, and N. London. 2010. “Loneliness, Friendship Quality and the Social Networks of Adolescents with High-functioning Autism in an Inclusive School Setting.” Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs 10: 74–81. doi:10.1111/j.1471-3802.2010.01148.x.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ochs, E., and O. Solomon. 2010. “Autistic Sociality.” ETHOS 38 (1): 69–92. doi:10.1111/j.1548-1352.2009.01082.x.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Orsmond, G. I., M. Wyngaarden Krauss, and M. Mailick Seltzer. 2004. “Peer Relationships and Social and Recreational Activities among Adolescents and Adults with Autism.” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 34: 245–256. doi:10.1023/B:JADD.0000029547.96610.df.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Reich, S. M., K. Subrahmanyan, and G. Espinoza. 2012. “Friending, IMing, and Hanging out Face-to-face: Overlap in Adolescents’ Online and Offline Social Networks.” Developmental Psychology 48 (2): 356–368. doi:10.1037/a0026980.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ryan, S., and U. Räisänen. 2008. ““It's Like You Are Just a Spectator in this Thing”: Experiencing Social Life the ‘Aspie’ Way.” Emotion, Space and Society 1: 135–143. doi:10.1016/j.emospa.2009.02.001.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Sinclair, J. 2010. “Being Autistic Together.” Disability Studies Quarterly 31 (4). Accessed January 4, 2012. http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/1075/1248.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Whitehouse, A. J. O., K. Durkin, E. Jaquet, and K. Ziatas. 2009. “Friendship, Loneliness and Depression in Adolescents with Asperger's Syndrome.” Journal of Adolescence 32 (2): 309–322. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2008.03.004.
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article

Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15017419.2013.859174 | Journal eISSN: 1745-3011

Journal RSS Feed

Language: English

Page range: 188 - 193

Submitted on: Jun 14, 2012

Accepted on: Oct 14, 2013

Published on: Nov 2, 2015

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

autism,

neurotypical,

autistic friendship

© 2015 Charlotte Brownlow, Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, Lindsay O’Dell, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 17 (2015): Issue 2