Making Friends

Here are some tips to help support teenagers with autism make friends:

Find out what activities and interests the teenager with autism enjoys

• Encourage the teenager to join groups and clubs that involve or are linked to their area of interest. (interest groups)
  • It could maybe be arranged for the teenager to meet the group leader and walk about the group environment prior to joining the group (transition section)
• Through careful observation and assessment, the group leader should be made aware of the teenager’s likes and dislikes and on what to do if the teenager becomes agitated.
• Encourage positive shared experiences between the teenager with autism and others, such as a trips to the cinema, museum or aquarium – depending on sensory preferences and interests.
• Use resources in your community
  • Join groups and after-school activities can also help to promote friendships. (interest groups)

Developing friendships involves social skills. (social skills section) Developing positive social skills is important for many aspects of life. There are many ways to improve social skills for example:

• http://ed-psych.utah.edu/school-psych/_documents/grants/autism-training-grant/power-pt/Social-Skills-Technology.pdf
• School staff and Family should try and be a role model
  • Teenagers will learn many key social skills from watching you interact but only if the student is engaged – girls are much better than boys at this, including listening, showing empathy, problem-solving, and working through conflicts.
  • There are many times during the day when you can show the teenager the kind of social behaviour you want to see – this is called modelling.(relative effects of social stories and video modelling)
• Develop basic social skills
  • Practise social skills at home. It helps if you describe what you are modelling e.g. ‘I am going to share my sweets with you, sharing is a positive thing to do with people you like’.
  • Using Social Stories™ can also be an effective way to teach social skills such as communicating and joining in with others.
• Recognise and praise success
  • Give lots of praise and encouragement when you see the teenager interacting positively with others. Rewarding the teenager with praise or a motivator may help to build social skills and self-esteem.