Interacting with peers
Because sighted autistic children have a core difficulty with social interaction, they find it difficult to understand and predict the behaviour of other people. They have a particular difficulty interacting with other children of their own age. Most autistic children interact much more successfully with adults than with other children; some interact more successfully with older children than with their age peers; and some interact more successfully with much younger children than with their age peers.
It is possible that sighted autistic children find it somewhat easier to interact with adults than with children because adults (at least caring ones who live or work with them) are more likely than children to adjust their behaviour to support interaction. Older children are also more likely to do this than age peers. Sighted autistic children may get on relatively well with younger children as the latter may not mind (at least initially) interacting with an older child who dominates and controls them.
Functional vision
Some children who have visual impairment, but who do not have autism, nevertheless have difficulties with social interaction. There may be several reasons for this. Perhaps the most important factor is that a child who has visual impairment has very significantly reduced access to information about his / her peers. The extent of the child's difficulties in this respect depend very much on whether the child has any functional vision, and if so, how much. Perhaps the most basic issue is that the child who has visual impairment may not know if there are any peers close by who may be available for interaction. Even if the child who has visual impairment is aware that another child is present and that interaction is possible, initiating it may be difficult. This is because the child may not have access to information about what the other child is doing or is focused on at the time. Initiating contact with a group of peers is even more difficult, as it is likely that they will already be interacting with each other, and may not be prepared, or able, to adjust their behaviour to meet the needs of a child who has little or no sight. In addition, a child who has visual impairment may not have the same interests as his / her sighted peers. This may be particularly so in the playground, where many sighted children are physically active. Teaching traditional games is a strategy that may be considered when promoting peer interaction skills.
Barrier of intensive support
Because sighted autistic children and children who have visual impairment have difficulties with peer interaction, it is not surprising that most children who have visual impairment and autism find interacting with their peers very challenging. It is also worth noting that the additional support many of these children receive in school may be yet another barrier to successful peer interactions. The child's ability to interact more effectively with adults than with peers may actually be reinforced as a result of having almost continuous, very close contact with an adult. In addition, typically developing children acquire further peer interaction skills in the course of lessons when they participate in group activities. This may not be feasible for many children who have visual impairment and autism. However, it is, perhaps, something that practitioners should consider. Using "jigsawing" may offer a way forward for some children.
Playing alongside
Some children who have visual impairment and autism appear to interact with their peers in the playground. However, closer observation of this may reveal that any active interaction on the part of the child who has visual impairment and autism is very superficial, and that he / she is "mothered" by older girls. This may be particularly likely to occur in mainstream schools in the 5 to 11 age group. Another possibility is illustrated below in relation to Charles (see building on the child's interests to promote peer interaction skills). In the playground he is usually on the fringe of a football playing group of peers. However, he only plays in parallel with them, and does not actually interact with them. In turn, Charles' peers tolerate him, but make no attempt to include him. For practitioners, promoting peer interaction in children who have visual impairment and autism is a challenge.