Can people with autism improve their social skills?
Licensed psychologist and autism specialist Ronald Leaf, PhD, discusses how people with autism can improve their social skills.
Transcript
We need children with autism, adolescents, adults to have meaningful social connections, to have meaningful friendships.
And this comes about through the improvement in social skills. [MUSIC PLAYING]
We're very hopeful in the treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with autism. We're of the belief that we can prove any skill
as long as we're good teachers. Social skills are one of those things we
need to emphasize in treatment. It's certainly one of the features of autism, the deficit in social skills. It's one of those things we must emphasize,
because it's a quality of life issue. We need children with autism, adolescents, adults
to have meaningful social connections, to have meaningful friendships. And this comes about through the improvement in social skills.
It's a matter of teaching. It's a matter of emphasis. We're going to take a child with autism and look at where their deficit areas are socially
and help improve those by teaching them alternatives, giving them tons of practice, provide motivation for social skills.
So they develop into meaningful, have meaningful friendships. And when you have meaningful friendships, then you have all the rewards in life.
You have the quality of life. Something that's critical that we work on social skills with our children with autism.
autism
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