Children who are autistic do not adhere naturally to the dynamics of social etiquette in the classroom or on the playground and will benefit by receiving some social skills training. Interpreting facial expressions, conversational interaction, and manners are difficult for ASD kids to master. Parents of autistic children may not have the best opportunities to teach social skills. Play dates are usually closely monitored and fabricated within the limits of the child’s comfort zone.
In a school setting however, children are given the freedom to interact with friends on the playground or at lunch without rigid structure. This unfamiliar environment is where an autistic child may become overwhelmed. He may shy away, turn inward, throw tantrums, and display odd and repetitive behaviors in order to calm down and comfort himself. Without early intervention, the autistic child may eventually be avoided, bullied, or shunned by his peers.
Important First Steps for Teachers of Autistic Students
The first step toward helping a student with autism is to make sure that there are clear systems established for schoolwork, homework, and appropriate behavior. Since children with autism thrive on rules, task lists, and visual memory aids, all of these should be applied consistently. Rules should be clearly displayed. Large assignments should be broken down into steps. And songs, poems, and pictures should be used to teach new concepts.
List of Social Skills for Autistic Children
Once a student on the autism spectrum seems comfortable with what is expected of him academically and behaviorally, it is then time to tackle social skills. According to Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Understanding the Diagnosis and Getting Help by Mitzi Waltz [CA: O’Reilly & Associates, Inc., 2002, pp. 267-8], abilities that may need to be strengthened are the following:
- Eye contact
- Body distance
- Empathy
- Giving and receiving compliments
- Sharing interests
- Interpreting and using facial expressions
- Ways of approaching and leaving friends
- Picking appropriate conversation topics
- Table manners
- Community rules
- Dating and sexual etiquette
- Grooming
- Respecting authority
- Dealing with new social situations
- Developing acceptable self-calming techniques
Methods to Teach Social Skills in the Classroom
There are several ways in which a teacher can seamlessly incorporate social skills training for autistic students in an inclusive setting. Here are a few ideas:
- Classroom workstations are a great teaching technique. One workstation can be devoted to social skills activities and development. The group assigned to this workstation along with a child on the autism spectrum should be small, perhaps two or three students. The group can simulate a friendship club and should have adult supervision to guide the play or cooperative work.
- Social stories are another positive way to bring social skills training into the classroom, while students learn to read and improve their comprehension. It is recommended that these types of stories be easy to understand and short. The situation can be described ahead of time and children can be asked to predict how characters in the story may (or should) respond.
- Replacing inappropriate behaviors with appropriate ones will be challenging but a good way to help the autistic child fit in with his peers. When a student with autism is calm, ask him to list the circumstances that upset him. Then ask him to list all the activities he enjoys, and encourage him to use those in stressful situations: swinging, chewing on carrot sticks, or digging can replace walking in circles, for example.
Social skill development should be monitored and rewarded as well, and parents should be kept abreast of how the child is progressing in the weeks and months that follow. Children with autism will be a challenge in the regular classroom, but a teacher who incorporates social skills training will receive her greatest reward when an autistic student acquires the social and coping skills necessary to be a happier, successful adult.
Karen Plumley - Karen Plumley is a writer specializing in parenting and education. She works for Parenting NH and the Hippo, NH's most widely read ...
