One of the most significant problems for people with autism is difficulty with social interactions. Difficulty can be difficult for people who don’t usually speak the language, or relatively mild.
However, even mild difficulties with social communication can cause major problems with relationships, school, and employment. This is why developing social skills is so important for children and adults with autism.
This article explains why people with autism face unique challenges in social communication and why this is important. Provides information about social skills therapy and how to find a provider.
Social skills affected by autism
In some cases, people with autism lack very basic social skills. They may find it very difficult (or even impossible) to make eye contact, answer questions, and respond appropriately with “please” and “thank you.” Although these basic skills are not sufficient to support meaningful relationships, they are important tools for self-assertion and interaction with community members.
Additionally, although basic communication skills are maintained, there may be gaps in understanding the thoughts and feelings of others and responding appropriately. These problems often arise from not knowing what other people are thinking.
Most people can observe others and infer what is “really” going on from a combination of tone and body language. Generally, without help and training, autistic people (even those with very high intelligence) cannot do this.
This “mental blindness” can lead to social lapses that cause all sorts of problems, even for autistic people with low support needs. Autistic people may hurt your feelings, ask inappropriate questions, act strangely, or be subject to hostility, teasing, bullying, and isolation without knowing why.
social skills therapist
As the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has become more common, an industry of sorts has grown around teaching social skills to children and adults. There are no formal certifications for social skills therapists. Therefore, social skills practitioners come from a variety of backgrounds and training.
Generally, social skills therapists are professionals who specialize in treating people with autism. Over time, they have developed or learned techniques to build social interaction skills, from basic skills (such as making eye contact) to complex and nuanced skills (such as asking someone out on a date). Ta.
A variety of professionals can provide social skills therapy, including:
- social worker
- psychologist
- occupational therapist
- speech therapist
Social skills therapists may have training and certification in specific treatment modalities. Individual therapists/researchers such as Carol Gray, Brenda Miles, and Michelle Garcia Weiner have developed programs and materials to help teach, practice, and generalize social skills.
In recent years, “do-it-yourself” social skills education tools for parents and adults with autism have appeared on the market. These typically take the form of books and videos that model different types of interactions, as well as tips and hints on how to “do it right.” Drama therapists also work on social skills through literally creating scenarios and improving and critiquing practice interactions.
How social skills therapists help people with autism
There is no single official certification for social skills therapists, so techniques vary. In a school setting, social skills therapy may consist of group activities with autistic and neurotypical peers. School social skills groups typically focus on playing games, sharing, and talking. Groups are supervised by a school psychologist or social worker and may be held in a classroom, lunchroom, or playground.
Out-of-school social skills groups are similar in style, but are privately paid for (health insurance is unlikely to cover such programs). Children are grouped by age and ability and may utilize specific social skills curricula developed by established social skills therapy practitioners.
Drama therapy, a type of social skills therapy, is a bit unusual, but where it’s offered, it can be both fun and educational. Video modeling, interactional video critiques, group therapy, and other approaches may also be available in your area, and these are particularly appropriate for teens and adults. Typical cognitive therapy with a psychologist or psychiatrist may also be helpful.
Limits to the effectiveness of social skills therapy
In theory, social skills therapy provides people with autism with the ability to talk, share, play, and work with typical peers. In an ideal world, such treatment would make autistic people almost indistinguishable from neurotypical people.
In fact, social skills therapy tends to only be offered for one to two hours per week. While it may be possible to provide autistic learners with specific skills and techniques (e.g., “look at the other person’s face during conversation”), just as autistic people are neurotypical, It is unlikely that you will see it.
The programs most likely to have this impact would be highly intensive, unlike the majority of existing social skills programs.
How to find a qualified social skills therapist
There is no formal certification for social skills therapists, so finding a qualified practitioner can be difficult. Most good social skills therapists aren’t very trained from birth > they just happen to be autistic people who “understand” how other people think, feel, and behave. are extremely talented therapists in their respective fields who have an innate understanding of how to help.
Therefore, someone trained in a particular social skills technique may not necessarily be the ideal therapist. The best way to determine if a therapist is right for you or your child is to attend a few sessions.
Most school programs for children with autism include social skills therapy. It is not uncommon for school psychologists and social workers to run social skills programs with relatively little training or background. Therefore, it may be worth parents asking who offers such programs and why they choose them.
If you’re interested in finding private social skills therapy, a good place to start is at your local Autism Society of America chapter or AutismLink. Both provide information about local practitioners.