Parents' perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 and school transition on autistic children's friendships.

This study asked 14 parents about their autistic child's friendships during school moves and COVID-19. Some children found it helpful to move schools with existing friends, while others didn't seem affected by friendships during the move. COVID-19 affected children differently too - some missed their friends during restrictions, while others enjoyed the break from social situations. The research shows that every autistic child is different, so support during school changes needs to be tailored to each individual child.

This qualitative study examined parents' perspectives on how school transitions and COVID-19 affected friendships in autistic children. Fourteen parents were interviewed about their child's experience moving to a new school. Results revealed significant individual variation in experiences. Some children benefited from transitioning with existing friends, while others showed friendships playing a minimal role in their transition experience.

COVID-19's impact was similarly varied - some children struggled with separation from friends during restrictions, while others found the reduced social pressure beneficial. The findings emphasize the heterogeneous nature of autism experiences and highlight the need for individualized, child-centred approaches to supporting school transitions.

Transition planning should be individualized based on each child's social preferences and friendship patterns. Some autistic children benefit from maintaining peer connections during school moves, while others may need different support strategies. COVID-19 experiences suggest varied social accommodation needs.

Small sample size of 14 parents limits generalizability. Parent-reported data may not fully capture children's perspectives. Study type and methodology details not clearly specified in abstract. No comparison group or standardized measures mentioned.

Research shows that moving schools can be a challenging time for autistic children and young people. One factor that has been found to support successful transition is friendships. However, there is little research exploring how transition between schools affects autistic children's friendships, and even less on how children's relationships during transition have been impacted by COVID-19. Fourteen parents of autistic children and young people were interviewed about their child's move to a new school and the impact they felt this had on their friendships.

Parents described how moving with existing friends helped some children to find the transition less challenging. Others had differing experiences, with their children's friendships playing a much smaller role in the move. Differences were also seen with regard to the impact of COVID-19, with some parents speaking of how hard being away from friends was for their child, while others found the social restrictions a welcome break from interacting with peers. The study highlights how different the experiences of autistic individuals, and their parents, can be and the importance of a child-centred approach to transition support.