Measuring social networks of young adults with autism

Date:
August 17, 2020
Source:
Drexel University
Summary:
While social isolation is a core challenge associated with autism,
researchers have laid the groundwork to show how interpersonal
relationships, and the resources they provide, could impact autistic
youth's adult outcomes.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
As many have recently discovered, social connections are vital to
a person's wellbeing. While social isolation is a core challenge
associated with autism, researchers from Drexel University's A.J. Drexel
Autism Institute have laid the groundwork to show how interpersonal relationships, and the resources they provide, could impact autistic
youth's adult outcomes.


========================================================================== "Many autistic young adults are disconnected from people, communities and organizations that could provide them with valuable social resources to
support their transition to adulthood," said Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick,
PhD, assistant professor in the Autism Institute and lead author of
the study.

The study demonstrated how social network analysis can be adapted for
the field of autism, by measuring the social networks of autistic adults
and the resources gained from the social connections.

Researchers had 17 autistic adults during post-high school transition
(ages 19 to 27) complete an online survey about their social
connections and the different types of support they gain from those connections. Parents of three of the autistic adults were also surveyed
to provide information about the social connections they rely on to help
their autistic young adults transition successfully.

"Interpersonal relationships and the resources and support embedded in the social networks of autistic young adults could impact key adult outcomes, including quality of life, mental health, employment and independence,"
said McGhee Hassrick.

According to the researchers, there is currently very little known about
the social networks of young adults on the autism spectrum and no studies measuring the social capital of youth and their parents together.

This project produced new and useful ways of collecting social network
data from young autistic adults that will produce knowledge about how
to help young adults on the autism spectrum build networks that will
produce social resources needed to support positive outcomes in adulthood.

The study does have limitations, as it was only designed to test the feasibility of the social network measure and does not provide information about how networks might impact outcomes. There is also the possibility
of under-reporting the actual size and makeup of autistic young adult
networks, due to the social network measure only allowing participants
to identify five people.

"Future studies using our social network measure might provide valuable information about possible interventions that could help autistic youth
acquire the social resources needed for successful adult outcomes,"
said McGhee Hassrick.

The study, "Social Capital and Autism in Young Adulthood: Applying
Social Network Methods to Measure the Social Capital of Autistic Young
Adults," will be published in Autism in Adulthood. Co-authors include
Laura Graham Holmes, PhD; Paul Shattuck, PhD, both of Drexel University; Collette Sosnowy, PhD, of Brown University; and Jessica Walton, of Lock
Haven University.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Drexel_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick, Collette Sosnowy, Laura Graham Holmes,
Jessica
Walton, Paul T. Shattuck. Social Capital and Autism in Young
Adulthood: Applying Social Network Methods to Measure the Social
Capital of Autistic Young Adults. Autism in Adulthood, 2020; DOI:
10.1089/aut.2019.0058 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200817191750.htm

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