Use of lunch clubs in an inclusive high school with students with autism spectrum disorder

Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have challenges with social engagement and building relationships with peers. These challenges can have lasting effects on these individuals' lives including their happiness, employment, and general sense of fulfillment. Lunch Clubs have been utilized as an intervention with students with ASD to support their social skills. These Lunch Clubs have been shown to have a correlation with increased levels of social engagement and peer interaction for the students with ASD. This qualitative study more deeply analyzed the mechanisms by which this increase in social engagement happens as well as the perceived improvements through the lens of one student with ASD.