Classmates’ Social Interest Toward Included Autistic Peers: Social and Personal Characteristics

This study explored the demographic and social characteristics of children in understanding their spontaneous social interest toward autistic classmates. Participants were 193 children without disabilities, ages 3 to 6 years, in 16 inclusive preschool/kindergarten classrooms. Teachers and educational aides each nominated socially interested students and rated all students’ social interests toward the included classmate. Results indicated that socially interested children were younger, more often boys, had a more advanced social profile (less aggression, more shyness, and more prosocial behaviors), and showed better performance on theory of mind tasks than their peers who were not socially interested in the autistic classmates. Identifying peers without disabilities who show social interest toward the included children can optimize the involvement of peers without disabilities as change agents in inclusive educational environments and promote the social inclusion of autistic students.