Social Skills

Overview

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) experience substantial delays in the development of social skills. Examples of such skills include initiating interactions with others, attending to items or events with others (joint attention), taking turns, feeling empathy, and being polite. Deficits in social skills may further exacerbate the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children with ASDs. Despite this known risk, few well-established, research-based practices exist for improving the social skills of children with ASDs. Current MCPER research targets the development and evaluation of social skills interventions.

Links

For examples of recent research regarding social skills conducted at MCPER, follow these links:

• Evaluation of a Social Stories Intervention Implemented by Pre-Service Teachers for Students With Autism in General Education Settings
• A Social Stories Intervention Package for Students With Autism in Inclusive Classroom Settings