Four Reasons to Offer Social Skills Practice to Your Child With Autism
Social skills are a big topic in the autism community today, but should we be actively seeking out opportunities to support our children in this area? We’ll dive into four reasons to answer “yes” to this question in the post below:
1) Social Skills Promote Independence
Social skills may be tricky, but they sure do make life a lot easier once they’ve been strengthened. When your child is calm and comfortable in common situations, such as checking out at the grocery store or ordering from a menu at their favorite restaurant, they’ll gain a level of independence that every child deserves to enjoy.
Social skills can support children with autism as they go for walks or bike rides, attend events designed for kids, and even as they work through the school day on their own. They simply allow our kids to communicate their needs and the needs of others by themselves, so they don’t need to feel like they rely on our help every step of the way.
2) They Boost Confidence
When your child is able to do more things independently because of strengthened social skills, their confidence is almost sure to skyrocket. They’ll realize they’re capable of the things that worried them in the past, and that they’re strong enough to get through interactions with all the kids around them.
This confidence not only leads back to stronger communication and relationship building, it helps boost self-esteem, too — and we all want our kids feeling fantastic about the amazing individuals we know they are.
3) They Help Form Friendships
Whether they’re strengthened in a social skills group or at home, stronger social skills help children with autism form friendships. This is true with both autism peers and neurotypical pals.
When your child is able to read emotions, tones, and body language, they’ll better understand how their new friend is feeling and how their interactions should change because of that. They’ll have the skills they need to continue relationships, even when things start to get a little rocky as all kid-communications do at one point or another.
4) They’re Easily Practiced in Social Skills Groups
Another reason to offer social skills practice to your child with autism is that it’s simply an easy thing to do. You don’t need to be driving around to 5 classes each week or printing off social story after social story. Online social skills groups can take care of the work for you — just sit back and take in the incredible information your kiddo receives.
Social skills groups aren’t just easy and beneficial, they’re fun, too. Kids love joining in because they’re based around friendship with growth factors weaved into the mix. They’ll be logging on to speak to peers who experience similar highs and lows on a daily basis, or to chat with other lovers of their favorite hobbies. They may not even notice they’re practicing essential life skills along the way.
At Ascent Autism, we take pride in our services being simple, enjoyable, and effective. Our social skills groups are hand-matched to ensure the best possible outcomes —friendship making and skill building included. Our caring and experienced group moderators gently lead conversation in positive directions, and they know how to help your child build on these skills when the opportunities arise.
If you’re interested in providing your child with a bit of easy practice in this area, try out a social skills group with us today. We’d love to support your child in every way we can!
Jun 16, 2021Hye Ryeon Lee, PhDHye Ryeon is a neuroscientist with over 10 years of experience studying Autism Spectrum Disorder, including at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She has published numerous papers on the mechanisms of autism in journals such as Nature, Science, and Nature Neuroscience.https://www.linkedin.com/in/hyeryeonlee/