The broad autism phenotype: Implications for empathy and friendships in emerging adults

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose symptoms include social communication deficits and repetitive and rigid behaviours. The “broad autism phenotype” (BAP) includes milder, subclinical personality and language characteristics. We explored the relationship between BAP features, empathy skills, and friendships in emerging adults with or without a biological relative with ASD. We found emerging adults from both groups with more BAP features had less interest in and shorter duration of friendships. This relationship was mediated by empathy, such that those with weak empathy skills experienced the most negative friendship outcomes. This mixed methods study sheds light on the relational implications of exhibiting BAP features and the importance of non-normative life events on friendships.