Some key questions about autistic children and social skills:
What is autism spectrum disorder?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. There is a wide range of symptoms and levels of disability. Some common symptoms include difficulties with social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors.
What are the different levels of autism?
There are 3 levels of autism:
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Requires support |
| Level 2 | Requires substantial support |
| Level 3 | Requires very substantial support |
The levels are based on how much support the person needs for social communication and restricted/repetitive behaviors. Level 1 requires the least support and Level 3 the most.
What kind of social difficulties do autistic children have?
Autistic children often have difficulties with:
– Making eye contact
– Understanding social cues like facial expressions
– Building friendships
– Playing cooperatively with other children
– Engaging in pretend play
– Taking turns in conversation
– Understanding other people’s perspectives/feelings
However, social skills exist on a spectrum in autism just like other symptoms. Some autistic children have mild difficulties while others have very severe difficulties.
Can Autistic Children Have Strong Social Skills?
Yes, some autistic children can have age-appropriate or even very strong social skills. Here are some examples:
High-functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome
Children with high-functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome typically have average or above average intelligence. They may have good language skills and intellectual abilities. However, they still struggle with social nuances and communication.
Many can interact well one-on-one, especially around topics they enjoy. Some may have close friendships. With support at school and home, some children with high-functioning autism build good social skills over time.
Mild forms of autism
Children with mild forms of autism have relatively minor social difficulties. With early intervention and therapy, some are able to interact well with other children and form friendships. They may still have challenges in groups or less structured social situations.
Improving social skills with age
Some autistic children make significant gains in social interaction as they get older and more mature. Brain development and therapy can help improve communication and social understanding over time.
Strength in special interests
Many autistic children develop intense special interests in certain topics like trains, horses, or dinosaurs. When interacting with others around their special interest, some autistic kids can be very socially engaged, chatty, and interested in sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm.
Development of coping strategies
Autistic children often benefit from targeted social skills training and therapy. With practice, many learn strategies to handle social situations more effectively, even if social interaction remains difficult for them. The ability to cope improves social skills.
Challenges Autistic Children Can Still Face
While some autistic children can be socially engaged and build strong skills, they may still face challenges in some situations:
Less structured situations
Play dates, parties, and other less structured social situations create difficulties for many autistic children. They thrive on routine and rules that are absent in these settings.
Groups
Conversations and play with groups of children often involves rapid back-and-forth interaction. Autistic children, even higher functioning ones, can find it hard to keep up with the pace and social nuances.
Making conversation
Many autistic children, especially those with language delays, find it hard to chat and reciprocate conversation. They may dominate the conversation or have trouble keeping it flowing naturally.
Understanding perspectives
Autistic children tend to have trouble seeing things from another person’s point of view. This makes it challenging for them to truly connect socially and empathize.
Dealing with conflict
Arguments or disagreements with friends can be especially hard for autistic children to navigate due to perspective-taking difficulties.
Reading social cues
Subtle social cues like body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice can often be confusing for autistic children. They may miss signs that other children pick up on intuitively.
Making friends
Many autistic children want to have friends but struggle to meet people, start conversations, keep friends, and deepen connections. Social motivation is not always intuitive.
Supporting an Autistic Child Socially
Parents and teachers can help autistic children reach their social potential with certain approaches:
Provide structure
Structuring social time with peers, using timers, giving activity suggestions, or assigning roles can reduce anxiety and help interactions.
Teach strategies
Practice simple conversational skills like initiating, reciprocating, listening, and cooperating through modeling, social stories, role play, and coaching.
Explain social rules
Directly teach the “hidden rules” and expectations of social behavior that peers pick up implicitly.
Work on perspective-taking
Read stories, act out scenarios, and discuss how others might think/feel to foster empathy and understanding.
Offer feedback
Provide gentle feedback to increase self-awareness of what they are doing well socially and areas to improve.
Find opportunities centered around interests
Joining groups/activities centered around their special interest can encourage interaction and friendship with like-minded peers.
Assign a peer buddy
Pairing them with a neurotypical peer “buddy” or role model helps teach appropriate social behavior through observation, modeling, and support.
Social skills groups
These small group classes use games, role playing, and activities to practice making friends, reading cues, having conversations, cooperation, and more.
Peer networks
Setting up regular get-togethers for the autistic child with a few preferred peers they relate to helps build lasting social connections.
The Role of Inclusion and Acceptance
Promoting inclusion, educating peers about autism, and fostering acceptance at school and in the community creates a more supportive social environment for autistic children.
Neurotypical peers can include and engage with autistic classmates by:
– Being patient with differences
– Making an effort to involve them
– Explaining social “rules”
– Showing interest in their special interest
– Speaking directly about how they are feeling
– Noticing if they are feeling overwhelmed/need space
When autistic behaviors are embraced and understood, autistic children can make remarkable social connections and real friendships.
Conclusion
Autistic children have a wide range of social abilities. While social interaction is notoriously challenging for those with autism, some can and do build age-appropriate skills and meaningful relationships.
With structure, coaching, therapy, developmental gains, special interests, and peer support, autistic children can exhibit strong social motivation and abilities. However, challenges communicating, reading cues, empathizing, and handling less structured situations persist to varying degrees.
Fostering an inclusive and understanding environment is key. With compassion, patience, and support, many autistic children can connect socially and live very socially engaged lives.