Feeling of loneliness in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders

A key characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are the difficulties in social interaction, comprising deficits in communication, reflecting of emotional states, and social competences. Difficulties in establishing and maintaining social relationships and functioning in peer groups are also frequent, which can lead to intense feelings of loneliness. The aim of the current study was to examine the relationships between the sense of loneliness, the intensity of autism spectrum traits, and cognitive functioning – especially verbal fluency. Fifty adolescents with ASD, aged between 13 and 19 years, together with 50 typically developing adolescents took part in the study. The study had a questionnaire character and used the Polish versions of the De Jong Gierveld Sense of Loneliness Scale and the adolescent version of Simon Baron-Cohen’s Autism Quotient Questionnaire. The participants’ cognitive functioning was tested during individual in-person meetings. The results showed that the sense of loneliness is related both to the presence of ASD as well as the intensity of its expression. Some relationships between the sense of loneliness and cognitive functioning test results were also revealed in the group of adolescents with ASD. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the perception of loneliness by ASD adolescents might be moderated by their level of cognitive functioning. However, these conclusions require further studies, which should include additional measures of cognitive functioning.