How can I help my child with autism have better relationships?

Licensed psychologist and autism specialist Ronald Leaf, PhD, discusses how parents can help their child with autism to have better relationships.

Transcript

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[MUSIC PLAYING] It's understanding that children with autism, although they may have a social deficit, there's a tremendous need for them to become social.

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We help our children with autism have better relationships by making an emphasis on treatment, once again.

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It's a matter of it being a priority. It's understanding that children with autism, although they may have a social deficit,

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there's a tremendous need for them to become social. There's a tremendous need for them to have meaningful friendships.

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And it can absolutely happen, as long as it becomes an emphasis of our treatment. It's not-- it's putting away the myths that children with autism

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are antisocial, that they aren't interested in social relationships. We find it quite the contrary.

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They're incredibly interested in it. They just don't have the skill areas. And they're not receiving the right kind of education

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and the right kind of treatment to promote that. It's a matter of looking at children with autism and identifying, what are the areas they

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need to improve upon that will lead to meaningful friendships? The tragedy of autism is too many children with autism--

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adolescents and adults-- don't have meaningful friendships because it hasn't been an emphasis. And we've looked at other areas to treat.

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This is the area we have to treat primarily. Autism is a social communication disorder, when we look at it.

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And it's a matter of emphasis. It's a matter of treatment. It's a matter of understanding that our ultimate goal is social connections because it's a quality of life issue.