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Places for Persons with Asperger’s to Meet People
There are many places where persons with Asperger’s can meet people, but too often they don’t know where they can comfortably and satisfactorily do this. Bars, cocktail parties, and other such events work well in the neurotypical culture, but those with Asperger’s desiring to meet new friends...
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Teaching Social Skills – A Key to Success
As young adults with autism transition from high school to college, work or independent living, they need to have good social skills in order to make friends, engage colleagues and succeed on many levels. When a young adult has a disability, planning ahead is particularly helpful in making a...
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The Importance of Socialization for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are defined by three main components/deficits. These are deficits in Communication (receptive/expressive speech and language delay), Behaviors (aka self-stimulatory behaviors or stimming) and Socialization. Communication: these individuals have difficulty with...
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Using Media as an Effective Tool to Teach Social Skills to Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Media is a powerful educational tool for adolescents and young adults in general; however, for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) it provides a unique opportunity to learn social skills. Popular television shows, movies, YouTube clips, and other social media sites are a vehicle to...
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Social Problem Solving: Best Practices for Youth with ASD
Joey, age 9, has been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and due to his high functioning has been mainstreamed into a fourth grade classroom with a shadow. His challenging behaviors typically center on his peer interactions in spite of adequate academic performance. When in a group...
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PEERS: A Parent-Supported Evidence Based Social Skills Intervention for Adolescents with ASD
Martin is a 14-year-old boy who has recently starting expressing increased levels of anxiety, particularly about his impending transition into high school starting this fall. Martin was diagnosed with ASD as a younger child and finding a place among his peers has always been an obstacle. Although...
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Summer Offers Opportunity for Skill Development for Children and Young Adults with ASD
Summer can be a perfect time for children and young adults to leave their everyday environments and discover new opportunities for skill development. Yet parents of children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) often struggle with the idea of immersing their child in a new...
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Summer Break and Skills Development: The Heat Is On
You work hard to make sure your child is progressing toward his goals and to effectively manage an interdisciplinary team and your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) during the course of the year. That work requires significant resources (fiscal, emotional, and temporal), the...
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Planning Ahead to Maintain Skills During Summer Vacation
Summer is coming and it’s time to start preparations. We know most children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) benefit from a structured schedule and environment, so much so that they usually know their schedule better than the adults who care for them. But what happens come summer? Schedules...
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Summertime Games and Simple Strategies to Reinforce Social Skills
Summertime is fun time for most children. School routines give way to relaxation, perhaps at summer day or sleep away camp – and there’s no studying. While most typically developing children welcome this, it can become problematic for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). That’s why...
