150 Iva Strnadová
Later on she was introduced to the FriendMaker™ app, which she found
particularly useful in understanding some of the hidden rules of social inter-
actions, as well as in learning skills such as entering into conversations and
scheduling get-togethers. Mrs. Clamsy invited a speaker from the Autism Self-
advocacy Group. Mrs. Golden was a specialist in computer programming, and
spoke about her experiences growing up, challenges she faced, and the ways
she overcame these. Students were allowed to ask questions, and this pre-
sentation was followed by a class discussion about diversity and peer accep-
tance. Over a period of 6 months, Rosie’s position in her classroom improved,
she had regular interactions with her classmates during breaks, and she was
invited to their birthday parties. Furthermore she developed a friendship with
Amy and two boys in the biology club.CASE STUDY 2Peter is 12-year-old boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder and an intellectual
disability. He lives with his mother, younger sister and grandparents. Peter’s
parents divorced when he was 7 years old, and his father is not in any contact
with Peter and the rest of the family. Peter’s family is of Asian background.
Peter attends a special school, where he remains socially isolated most of the
time. Peter has limited verbal skills, and often communicates his frustrations
through aggression towards others and self-injurious behaviours. He also has
difficulties with his impulse control. His classmates tend to avoid interaction
with him, with an exception of Jane who sometimes plays with him. Peter’s
mother and his grandparents are worried about his future.
Peter’s mother arranged a meeting with Mr. Grant, Peter’s class teacher,
to discuss her concerns. Mr. Grant explained what the school was doing to
address Peter’s needs, such as conducting a functional behavioural analysis
to identify what triggered Peter’s aggressive and self-injurious behaviours.
Peter’s mother was especially concerned about his self-injurious behaviour,
which was manifested by Peter hitting his head against a wall or a floor. The
behavioural observations conducted at school indicated that Peter engaged
in these behaviours when asked to complete a task while being tired.
Mr. Grant suggested a joint effort by the school and family, which was wel-
comed by Peter’s mother, to teach Peter functional replacement behaviours.
Peter’s mother also raised concerns about her son’s ability to make friends.
Mr. Grant agreed that focusing on the development of skills important for
friendships should be discussed at the next IEP meeting.
Peter’ mother and grandparents talked with Peter about friendships. Peter
prepared (with his mother’s help) a presentation about his perspectives on his