Social Skills Training for Autism

Introduction:

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental and neurological disorder that influences one’s interaction with others. One of the major challenges faced by those suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is difficulty in behaving and understanding social situations. Adults and children with ASD need appropriate support to comprehend social behaviors and learn how to interact with friends, family members, and others in the community. Social skills training (SST) encompasses a wide range of instructional methods and interventions that enable individuals to understand and enhance their social skills.

What Social Skills Are Affected by Autism?

In a few cases, individuals with autism lack very basic social skills. They may either have difficulty or can sometimes find it impossible to ask and answer questions, establish eye contact, or reply appropriately. A few individuals may have basic communication skills but may find it difficult to understand others’ feelings, thoughts, and emotions and respond accordingly. Normal individuals are able to observe others and grasp what one is trying to convey by observing their tone and body language.

But, the ‘mind blindness’ in autism can make even the highest-functioning person with autism make social blunders that can result in various problems. Without them realizing it, autistic persons can hurt others’ feelings, act strangely, ask irrelevant or inappropriate questions, or expose themselves to teasing, bullying, isolation, and hostility.

Why Is Teaching Social Skills to Autistic Individuals Important?

One of the major symptoms of ASD is the inability of autistic individuals to socialize with others. Various studies have shown that developing social skills in autistic children can be beneficial in the following ways:

• Reduces problems associated with behavior.

• Promotes academic performance.

• Enhances appropriate interactions with peers.

Social skills training (SST) aims at the following skills:

• Initiating conversations with people.

• Greetings.

• Establishing appropriate eye contact.

• Body language and gestures.

• Understanding facial expressions and emotions.

• Empathy.

• Assertiveness.

• How to behave in a specific social situation.

Social skills for autistic children include fundamental play skills like eye contact, waiting for others, and taking turns. Social skills for adolescents and young adults include maintaining friendships, expressing opinions, and behaving in the workplace. The advantage of social skills programs is that they can be customized based on the individual’s needs and strengths.

What Are the Different Types of Social Skills Training?

The following are the four types of social skills training:

• Peer-Mediated Instruction and Interventions: In this type, children without any accompanying diagnosis are trained to be ‘peer tutors’. These peer tutors are then allotted certain tasks and made to work with their autistic classmates, which facilitates play and social interactions. The physical environment of these children is also structured in a way to enhance social interactions.

• Practice Play and Praise: Play-way method is the best way to teach children about various social skills. For example, one could arrange a tea party scenario using a few teddies, feed a teddy, put it into bed, and so on. Encouraging the child to take turns, follow the rules, and praise them for their actions can help them learn social skills. Parents or caregivers should encourage and praise the individual whenever they interact positively with others.

• Video Modeling: Using videos to teach social concepts is one of the most powerful social skills training methods. In the video modeling method, the autistic individual watches a video that demonstrates a particular behavior and makes an attempt to perform the social skill immediately after watching the video. Videos of the individual can be recorded and used to be watched later, or videos of other peers socializing with others can also be collected and used.

• Scripts and Social Stories: This method involves explaining a specific social concept using visual or written aids. These scripts and stories can be customized to target the strengths and motivations of a particular person. However, there is limited evidence on the efficacy of the role of social stories alone in assisting autistic children in learning social skills. Instead, social stories can be effective if combined with peer intervention, role play, or rehearsal models wherein the individual practices and response or feedback about their performance are given.

• UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS): PEERS encompasses 90-minute group sessions for three to four months that are conducted weekly for autistic children who are between preschool going age to young adults. These sessions include various social skills that are taught through role-play, group activities, or lessons. These are mainly taught to enhance socialization. A parent or caregiver also attends the session so that they can also learn and assist the individual to practice the skills at home or in the community.

Who Can Teach Social Skills to Autistic Children?

Many social skills can be taught by various people in various settings like school, home, and the community. A speech pathologist, a special education teacher, or any other clinician can head a social skills group. Other professionals who can teach social skills are:

• Behavioral therapists.

• Occupational therapists.

• School psychologists.

• Health and PE (physical education) teachers.

• General education teachers.

An effective social skill group should inculcate the following:

• Break down abstract social skills and concepts into simple ones.

• The language has to be simple, and the children have to be categorized by their language levels.

• Create situations to practice so that the skills can be put to use in real-life settings.

• Provide varied and multiple learning opportunities.

• Provide appropriate structure and predictability.

• Should be made to work in pairs or groups by cooperating with each other, and their partnership should be encouraged.

• Promote self-esteem and self-awareness.

What Is the Role of Parents in Social Skills Training?

The role of parents is as follows:

• Self-Education: Parents of autistic children should always be on the track of learning. Parents should be educated and aware of various social skills so that they can assist their children in the process of learning. Social skills training benefits both the child as wells as the parent since parents also learn the necessary skills to assist their kids.

• Be Patient in Explaining the Socially-Acceptable Interactions: Children are not born with the knowledge of acceptable social skills and good manners. Most children learn by observing these skills from their external environment. They watch people interacting with each other and try to simulate the same.

But, autistic children may find it difficult to understand socially acceptable behaviors even if they observe them. Parents can assist autistic kids by explaining what social norms are and why they are important. Visual aids can be of great support in this process. Visual aids include pictures, drawings, or videos.

• Positive Reinforcement: Pointing out and saying what an autistic child has done is wrong can hurt their feelings. They feel motivated if they are praised and appreciated. Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool for helping autistic kids learn social skills. Identifying the right positive reinforcement technique for the child can involve a few trial-and-error methods. This can be in the form of rewarding them with ice cream or their favorite toys, and so on. Sometimes, the child may become immune to a particular reward, requiring parents to replace it with another reward.

• Practice Social Interactions With Your Child: Parents can do role-play at home as this enables the child to learn the necessary social skills in a comfortable, structured, and familiar environment. For example, inviting a few of the child’s friends to one’s home and creating a scenario for them to practice their social skills enables them to learn the necessary skills in a familiar environment with the people the child knows. Doing this in a fun-filled manner by conducting games will not only enable them to enhance their social skills but also help them better understand the necessity of rules and taking turns.

• Be Patient: It might take some time for the autistic child to learn various social skills. It is a gradual process and does not happen overnight. Hence, patience is the key. Parents must be reminded of the fact that patience and dedication will pay off in the long run, and they will witness their children with stronger social interaction skills in the future.

• Change the Perception: The habit of saying ‘thank you’, ‘please’, or ‘excuse me’ are polite habits and can seem to be natural for parents. But autistic children may find it difficult to learn these by themselves. Hence, parents should teach these skills with patience to their kids.

Conclusion:

Social skills training can help autistic children make friends, learn new hobbies, know how to act in various social situations, and so on. Good social skills are essential for the child’s mental health and overall quality of life. Lack of ability to interact with others and in the community is the major challenge faced by autistic individuals. Social skills training (SST) has been regarded as an evidence-based method for educating autistic children about social skills by the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice (NCAPE). To be regarded as evidence-based, sufficient, and quality research focusing on the improved outcomes of social skills training in autistic individuals has been published by researchers and other professionals.