Understanding the characteristics of friendship quality, activity participation, and emotional well-being in Taiwanese adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

AbstractBackground: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disability characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts. Existing literature on social relationships and well-being among adolescents with ASD in Asian countries is scant.Aims: This study compared the perceptions of adolescents with ASD with those of their neurotypical peers toward their friendship quality, activity participation, and emotional well-being, and examined the relationships between friendship quality, activity participation, and emotional well-being.Methods: The study participants—101 adolescents with ASD and 101 neurotypical peers, aged 10–19 years—completed the following self-administered questionnaires: the Friendship Quality Questionnaire, the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the short-form UCLA loneliness scale.Results: Adolescents with ASD reported lower friendship quality, lower school participation, and higher l...