Invisible companions and playmates are common among preschool children. In fact, according to a study published by Marjorie Taylor and colleagues in Developmental Psychology, 65% of the young children they looked at had created friends at some point in their lives. While most children invent these characters to deal with a major life change, acquire a new skill, work through a problem, or overcome a fear, the need for them tends to disappear once the child enters school and enlarges his or her circle of real friends.
While typical kids use make-believe to cope with the stresses and anxieties of life, most children with special needs don’t have that option. However, the autism spectrum comes in different combinations of symptoms and some children and teens, especially those with Asperger’s Syndrome or high-functioning autism, do possess the capability to invent relatives, peers, and animals – someone they can relate too.
Since social interaction often remains limited throughout life, many in their late teens still use imaginary friends. But is this something to worry about? Are persistent, invisible companions and animals a creative way for a teen to deal with their problems? Or is it a sign that he or she has crossed over the line into delusion?
What is Psychosis?
For many years, those affected by autism found themselves under a schizophrenic label. Today, that is no longer true, but parents still worry about odd or strange behaviors. While there is a type of autism placed within a Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) diagnosis known as Multiplex Developmental Disorder (MCDD), it’s characterized by emotional instability, disordered thought, and paranoia.
High-functioning autistic children and teens who invent invisible friends to keep them company don’t necessarily fall into this category. That’s because the greater majority of them continue to understand what’s real, and what’s not. In fact, many teens with Asperger’s Syndrome can tell you exactly how they created their friends.
While the standard definition of psychosis includes the mind playing tricks on you, like being able to see or feel your make-believe friend hug you, it also includes the child or teen not knowing the difference between his or her own thoughts, and the thoughts of their invisible friend.
Imaginative Play vs. Patterning Friends after Television, Movie, or Book Characters
One of the signs and symptoms of being on the autism spectrum is the inability to imaginative play. So wouldn’t creating an invisible friend fit into that category? Well, not exactly. When I worked for one of Good Shepherd’s group homes in Southern California many years ago, we had a Down syndrome resident who had invented many invisible friends – but she didn’t make them up. She used characters she knew well from various television shows and movies.
I found the exact same thing worked for autistic individuals. Several years ago, a few teens with Asperger’s talked about where they got their ideas. Though creative, they were not imaginative. They were re-creations of characters they could relate to on television, from movies, and in books.
High Functioning Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and Creativity
One of the characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome, or high functioning autism, is the ability to focus intensely for long periods – days, or even weeks at a time. This remarkable trait of persistence greatly enhances an Asperger’s ability to create. While many people don’t associate autism with creativity, some individuals on the spectrum have a high capacity for visual thinking and use alternative strategies to compensate.
For example, when a girl with Asperger’s on one of the autism forums couldn’t interact well with others her age, the crushing loneliness caused her to invent someone who could understand her. Someone she could talk to, and who would hug her when she was having a meltdown. While her abilities to create were strong, she never lost site of the fact that her invisible companion wasn’t real. To her, the friend was a coping mechanism, similar to a child playing with dolls.
What concerned her was her age. Though common to hear about young children having invisible playmates, she was 18 and worried that her friend’s presence as she entered chronological adulthood meant she was becoming mentally unhealthy. Many teenagers with Asperger’s stepped up to assure her that they, too, had similar friends. Their attitude? If the coping mechanism helps you in some way, and you’re not delusional, why would it be psychologically unhealthy?
Social Isolation Breeds Fantasy, Not Psychosis
In general, more boys are diagnosed with autism than girls; but Michael Fitzgerald in his book Autism and Creativity: Is There a Link Between Autism in Men and Exceptional Ability? doesn’t feel the unbalance comes from boys being more susceptible. In his professional opinion, most girls tend to go undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed, since they tend to be more sociable than boys and can learn through observation.
While the teenage girls on the autism forum all struggled with social issues and used imaginary friends, as dolls, to cope with their loneliness, girls in general tend to occupy themselves with their own imaginary worlds, and are less disruptive in class. However, the unique adaptive response to their individual situations can be misunderstood. “Although girls are less likely to be diagnosed,” Fitzgerald writes, “they are more likely to suffer in silence.”
Sources
- Cedar Clinic, “What is Psychosis?” (Accessed July 10, 2011).
- Developmental Psychology, Taylor, Marjorie; Carlson, Stephanie M.; Maring, Bayta L.; Gerow, Lynn, “The Characteristics and Correlates of Fantasy in School-Age Children: Imaginary Companions, Impersonation, and Social Understanding; 40(6), 1173-1187; doi:10.1037/0012-1649.40.6.1173.
- Fitzgerald, Michael, Autism and Creativity: Is There a Link Between Autism in Men and Exceptional Ability? Brunner-Routledge, January 2004.
- Psychology Today, Susan Newman, Ph.D., “Imaginary Friends: Any in Your House?” June 19, 2008.
- Taylor, Marjorie, Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them. Oxford University Press, 1999.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her child's health should contact a doctor for advice.
Vickie Ewell - Vickie has worked with autistic individuals for 9 years. She has celiac disease and specializes in gfcf living.
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