Abstract
Although children with high-functioning pervasive developmental disorders (HFPDD) may notice that they are different from other children, they may not sufficiently understand what is specifically different about them, which may increase their feeling of loneliness. The present article examined developmental and qualitative differences in feelings of loneliness of children with HFPDD and children who are typically developed by investigating the relationship between competence and loneliness. Children with HFPDD (n=45) and children who are typically developed (n=281) who were at various stages of development completed a loneliness and competence scale. The results suggested that after the higher grades of elementary school, the children with HFPDD were lonelier than the children who are typically developed. The loneliness and competence scores were independent of each other among the children with HFPDD, whereas those scores were significantly negatively correlated in the children who are typically developed. Loneliness in children with HFPDD may be unlike that experienced by children who are typically developed; their loneliness may not be related to psychological conditions, such as appreciating interactions with friends, but rather directly related to physical conditions, such as a lower number of acquaintances. Therefore, both subjective and objective aspects of loneliness must be considered.
