Autism: Why Working on Social Skills is Critical.

Credit: Microsoft

Parents of children with autism know that interacting in social situations and forming friendships can be especially challenging for anyone with autism.  We want our children to make friends and be able to participate socially at school and knowing this isn't happening causes us a great deal of distress.

Unfortunately, a study by researchers from Washington University in St Louis found that "young adults with an ASD were significantly more likely to never see friends, never get called by friends, never be invited to activities, and be socially isolated. Among those with an ASD, lower conversation ability, lower functional skills, and living with a parent were predictors of less social participation." 

Significantly one of the study's authors noted that many people with autism want social interaction and to form lasting friendships.  He noted that more needed to be done to prevent social isolation. This study is published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 

My interpretation of this study is that we as parents have to make sure our

Credit:  Microsoft

children are getting appropriate social skills training and that they are putting that training into practice.  If your child is getting extra resources in school, talk to your school about including training in social skills.  As children grow, their social interactions change so it is important that social skills training is ongoing.

Parents can also work on improving their children's social skills. There are numerous resources on the internet to help guide parents. Here are some sites I found interesting:

Improving Social Skills in Young Children with Autism

Improving Social Skills in Teenagers with Autism

Parents Tips for Improving Social Skills in Their Children with Autism

List of Multiple Internet Sites with Social Skills Information and Tips

In addition to websites, there are a lot of books and apps to help teach social skills. There may even be a group in your area which specializes in teaching social skills to children with autism. A popular program, which has been recommended by psychologist Tony Atwood, is Secret Agent Society.


More information on the study referenced above and the source of the above quote can be found here.

©Mary M Conneely T/A Advocacy in Action