How to Encourage Social Skills in Autistic Children

By paying attention to your child’s unique needs, you can build confidence and foster meaningful connections.

In this blog, we’ll discuss:

• What causes poor social skills in autism?
• How do you encourage social interaction in autism?
• How do you help an autistic person socialize?
• What treatment is used to enhance social skills of Autistic individuals?
• What are five strategies that can be used to help support Autistic children

What Causes Poor Social Skills In Autism?

For autistic people, neurological differences can cause difficulties with social interactions. This isn’t caused by any external factors but is rather something that an autistic person is born with. Reasons for this include:

• Impaired social cognition
• Sensory issues
• Restricted interests
• Repetitive behaviors
• Communication challenges
• Social anxiety

An autistic person may struggle to maintain eye contact, understand body language, or will overall avoid initiating conversation. All of this surmounts to poor social skills. 

How Do You Encourage Social Interaction In Autism?

First and foremost, a welcoming and supportive environment will be the best way to encourage social interaction. Knowing that they can safely interact with others will make socializing much easier. But alongside that, fun and engaging activities are the best ways to build social interaction skills.

Play-based social learning can help an autistic child practice their skills all while having fun. This play can include visual support, pretend play, puppets, storytelling, or talking with a social skills group. 

How Do You Help An Autistic Person Socialize?

It’s important to remember that you shouldn’t force anyone to socialize! You can gently help an autistic person build relationships by respecting their boundaries and understanding their individual needs. You can provide adequate support by:

• Making a comfortable environment
• Respecting communication differences and personal boundaries
• Encouraging their special interests
• Celebrating social success
• Providing time to take a break or recharge
• Being understanding

Social stories are another great tool to help prepare your child for socializing. These stories narrate specific social situations or problems, which helps teach your child how to overcome them. You can narrate an appointment they have to go to, a birthday party, an errand run, or even the day ahead. By role-playing what will happen and modeling social interaction, you can prepare your child for the day. Each of these efforts can aid in developing social skills. 

What Treatment is Used to Enhance Social Skills of Autistic Individuals?

Applied Behavior Analysis can help an autistic person find positive behavior correction. Techniques will include social play, social language, and social intuition. Your therapist will conduct social skills training through:

• Turn-talking
• Empathy
• Identifying social cues and emotions.
• Initiating conversation
• Appropriate play
• Following directions

A speech pathologist can also help your child grow confident in their verbal expression. This therapist will teach social skills such as saying hello and understanding humor, sarcasm, and slang. 

Each autistic child is different and will require different kinds of therapy to match their needs. It’s important to connect with a specialist to get a professional analysis and work towards what your child needs- not what is recommended for all autistic children! Your treatment should always be personalized. 

What Are 5 Strategies That Can Be Used To Help Support Autistic Children?

As your child grows through their diagnosis, you can support their development and needs. Here are five strategies you can easily implement for daily improvement. 

1. Become an expert on both your child and autism. The more you know about your child’s disorder, the more you will be able to both understand and help them! Identify their unique needs, triggers, and interests so you can combat problem situations with ease. 
   
2. Be consistent and positive. While the world is unpredictable and overwhelming, you are your child’s source of steadfastness. Work to create consistency in controlled environments and continue to apply your therapist’s techniques at home. Make learning fun, and don’t forget to encourage them every step of the way!
   
3. Create a safe space. Make a space in your home that your child can feel calm and comfortable in. Dim lights, sensory toys, neutral wall colors, and tools such as weighted blankets or headphones can help calm your child and allow them to regulate their emotions. This is a space where they can unwind and know they are allowed to be safely alone. 
   
4. Recognize sensory sensitivities. Autistic children are more prone to sensory issues– where their sight, hearing, taste, touch, and scent are heightened. If you notice something that consistently triggers your child, remove this or avoid it as often as possible. 
   
5. Don’t give up! Each day will bring its own challenges, but it’s worth it. Amidst your journey, remember that your child is still growing and developing their skills with age. They have not yet reached their full potential- no one knows what the future holds!