Social Learning Among Autistic Young Adult Tabletop Role Players

As children with autism mature into young adulthood, they face continuing and changing social skills challenges, impeding their success in developing and maintaining meaningful relationships in personal, educational, and vocational life domains. There is a need for research exploring solutions to the unique social needs of young adults with autism. Imaginative play activities through TTRPG participation may provide a platform for autistic youth to tap into creative and imaginative avenues of social skills and relationship building. A constructivist grounded theory approach facilitated an in-depth investigation into the perceptions and experiences of young adult autistic tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) players related to social learning. Twelve participants between the ages of 18 and 22 who had engaged in TTRPG activities for 6 months or more participated in this study. Emergent data revealed a process that started when autistic youth sought solutions to challenges with social skills deficits and loneliness through TTRPG involvement then found a meaningful connection to the TTRPG community. TTRPG game-mechanics offered a range of social skills instruction techniques coupled with a sense of belonging fostered by live gaming communities to lead to reported increases in social skills and subsequent relationship. The findings reveal a framework that might drive future social skills interventions programs for autistic adolescents and young adults.