Social Skills Books | Social Skills Behavior Chart | Social Skills | Home Page
It is often necessary to teach social skills to children with autism directly. Here are some ideas for teaching social skills:
Target one skill at a time to promote understanding and success.
It is helpful to break down the target social skill into smaller parts and teach each component. Once a target social skill is set, you can work on the parts of that skill individually.
Use positive reinforcement to reward acquisition of each part of the social skill targetted. External reinforcement may be necessary to motivate a child with an autism spectrum disorder to desire social interaction. An explanation of why the skill is important may be helpful depending on the child's level of understanding.
Start teaching the social skill in a 1:1 setting with no distractions. Have the child sit across from you at the table, and prompt the correct response initially.
After the skill is mastered at the table, work on moving away from the table to other rooms. Once the social skill is mastered away from the table, work on generalizing the social skill in a natural setting. Practice it in settings where the social skill is appropriate. Generalizing the social skill is often the most difficult challenge, so try to keep reinforcement high for the particular social skill when the child is successful in using it. Once a social skill is mastered in a generalized setting, you may introduce a new target. To maintain mastered skills, it is helpful to keep some type of verbal praise in place for the child using the social skill appropriately.
In generalizing social skills, it is important to note that often children with autism spectrum disorder need to generalize a skill in a variety of settings before fully acquiring the skill. For example, a child may learn the social skill "say hello" to a friend who comes over for a playdate, but have difficulty with the same social skill in the context of school where there are more distractions. Therefore it is helpful to practice the social skill in a variety of environments to be sure that it has been mastered.
There are many social skills that can be taught. Sample of useful target skills to teach include:
Example of breaking down a social skill into smaller parts:
Target social skill: "Say Hello":
1. Turn your body/shoulders to face the person.
2. Look in his/her eyes.
3. Say hello
Types of Reinforcement:
Social Skills Website
Making (and Keeping) Friends: A Model Social Skills Instruction Information on role playing and modeling as a way of teaching social skills to children with Autism Spectrum disorder.
Promoting Social Skills Among Children with Asperger Syndrome Discussion of perspective taking in children with Asperger Syndrome and strategies to encourage recognition of the feelings of others in the development of social skills.
Teaching Social Skills A teacher's website with tips for teaching social skills.
Yale Developmental Disabilities Clinic A study on social skills development in children with autism spectrum disorders.
Autism-PDD Network Links on diagnosing autism and autism resources.
Autism Society of America Resources, news, and advocacy information.
What Is Autism Definition of Autism from the Ontario Adult Autism Research and Support Network.
CDC Autism Information Center Information on symptoms and treatment of autism spectrum disorder.
Cure Autism Now Foundation Resources on understanding, diagnosis, and treating autism.
NAAR National Alliance for Autism Research with information about research, advocacy, and fundraising.
NIMH National Institute of Mental Health article on Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders)
ANDI: Autism Network for Dietary Intervention Information on the elimination of gluten and dairy in the diet as an intervention in treating autism and related developmental disabilities.
GFCF Diet Lists acceptable foods and how to get started with a gluten free casein free diet.
GFCF Kids Yahoo group comprised of families using the gluten free casein free diet in children with autism spectrum disorder.
ABA Resources for Recovery from Autism/PDD/Hyperlexia A father's website with vast resources on autism recovery through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
CSAAC Maryland non-profit that provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) early intervention services to children with autism. Also provides services to adults with autism.
Lovaas Institute Early Intervention services for children with autism based on the research of Dr. Ivar Lovaas.
Wisconsin Early Autism Project Clinic
for early intervention in the treatment of autism based on the work of Dr. Ivar
Lovaas and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
Autism is a developmental disorder that is defined by the DSM-IV as follows:
A. A total of six (or more) items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1), and one each from (2) and (3):
(1) qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:B. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years: (1) social interaction, (2) language as used in social communication, or (3) symbolic or imaginative play.(a) marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors, such as eye-to- eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction(2) qualitative impairments in communication, as manifested by at least one of the following:(b) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
(c) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest)
(d) lack of social or emotional reciprocity
(a) delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime)(3) restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities as manifested by at least one of the following:(b) in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
(c) stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language
(d) lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level
(a) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus(b) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
(c) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting or complex whole-body movements)
(d) persistent precoccupation with parts of objects
C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by Rett's disorder or childhood disintegrative disorder.
This category should be used when there is a severe and pervasive impairment in the development of reciprocal social interaction or verbal and nonverbal communication skills, or when stereotyped behavior, interests, and activities are present, but the criteria are not met for a specific pervasive developmental disorder, schizophrenia, schizotypal personality disorder, or avoidant personality disorder. For example, this category includes "atypical autism" --presentations that do not meet the criteria for autistic disorder because of late age of onset, atypical symptomatology, or subthreshold symptomatology, or all of these.
A. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:
(1) marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors, such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interactionB. Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:(2) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
(3) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
(4) lack of social or emotional reciprocity
(1) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focusC. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.(2) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
(3) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
(4) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects
D. There is no clinically significant general delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years).
E. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood.
F. Criteria are not met for another specific pervasive developmental disorder or schizophrenia.
| ||||||||||
