Social Skills Instruction for
Students with Autism
Children with autism spectrum disorders have unique ways of looking
at the world and of interacting with its other, non-autistic
inhabitants. Most individuals with autism are honest,
straightforward, persevering, humorous and fun loving, and have
much to teach the rest of us. The purpose of teaching social and
communication skills should always be to give students the skills to
function socially (out of their own desire for human warmth and
companionship or when they must fit in socially) in order to survive,
not to change who they are. Our purpose should not be to remake
them into someone who is not autistic. The approach to teaching
social skills must emphasize teaching in a sensitive and caring way,
and employ plenty of patience, fun and humor. It is also critical that
children with autism be supported in taking “time off” from the
pressures of fitting in. Children with autism need to have times
scheduled into their days to withdraw from social demands, and to do
whatever they need to do to relax. This may include time for “selfstimulating” behaviors done in socially appropriate ways, if needed.
Communication and Social Skills
Pronounced difficulties in social and communication skills are the
hallmark of all autism spectrum disorders. Poor social skills often
prevent children from establishing meaningful social relationships.
For most children, basic social skills are acquired quickly and easily.
For children with autism, the process is much more difficult. Most
children learn the basic skills such as turn taking and initiating
conversation, simply by exposure to social situations during the
infant and toddler years. Children with autism often need these skills
taught explicitly. Effective social communication requires that the
areas of the brain that control communication and social functioning
work rapidly and fluidly within a cultural framework on unwritten
rules and social scripts. However, it is exactly this realm of
communication and social understanding that typically escapes the
person with autism. Without it he flounders in social situations in the
same way most of us would struggle if we were dropped off on
another planet and were expected to communicate effectively with its
inhabitants.
Research suggests that the systems within the brain that control
communication and social skills do not function conventionally in
people with autism. Therefore, it makes sense to train other parts of
the brain to take over these functions. This process requires breaking
communication and social skills down into small steps, teaching these
steps with frequent repetition, and “scaffolding” more difficult tasks
onto previously learned simpler tasks.
Skills:
Basic Conversational Responses
Goals:
The goals are to teach the student to make the following type of
responses within a conversation.
 Answer yes/no questions.
 Answer simple questions with a one or two word reply
 Respond to a statement with a statement
 Answer open-ended questions
 Respond to a statement with a question
 Respond to a question with a brief statement and a reciprocal
question
 Respond to a statement with a statement followed by a
question
Instructions:
Step One:
Demonstrate and practice individual target responses starting with
“answer yes/no questions” and proceed in the order listed.
Demonstrate the targeted response with an assistant giving two or
three examples. Next, ask the student to practice the targeted
response by asking a question that pertains to the student’s interest.
Step Two:
Practice conversational responses in practice conversations. Explain
to the student that he will practice making the targeted response in
short practice conversations, first working one-on-one with the
student and later in a small group. Choose topics that are of interest
to the student. Prompt the student with modeling the response, if
needed. Keep feedback positive and be prepared to do most of the
talking initially.
Step Three:
Practice in a naturalistic, small group setting. If possible, also include
a few student helpers who are at a more advanced level and train
them in advance to help cue the other student to make appropriate
responses when necessary. Then, set up situations that encourage
conversations. Keep feedback positive and specific.
It is very important for family members, teachers, and whenever
possible peers, to make a specific point of listening for and
responding to attempts by the student to use these new skills in all
naturally-occurring situations.
Recognizing and Interpreting Nonverbal and
Contextual Clues in Other People
Goal:
To help the student learn to recognize body language, facial
expression and context clues to other people’s thoughts, intentions
and feelings and to help the student use these skills to predict what is
most likely to happen next in a given social interaction.
Instructions:
Step One:
Teach nonverbal cues using stylized pictures (“Emotions Picture
Chart” p. 83) by first teaching the student to identify the emotions
illustrated by the faces on the chart. Discuss the meaning of each
emotion, using examples to illustrate as needed. Work with only one
or two emotions per session. After the student is competent at
recognizing and defining the emotions on the chart, use the same
chart to play the role-play game.
Ask student to choose one line from the emotions chart.
Review the emotions on that line with the student and demonstrate
both the body language and facial expressions that typically
accompany this emotion.
Take turns portraying the emotions on the chosen line. Have the
other person guess which emotion their partner is demonstrating.
Step Two:
Teach nonverbal cues using photographs. Have student cut out
photographs of people in magazine whose expressions and/or body
language display a variety of emotions (provide pictures). Then
choose an emotion from the Emotions Picture Chart and ask the
student to find as many photos as possible that illustrate that feeling.
Discuss with the student what specific facial changes and elements of
body language are common to most of the pictures showing a
particular emotion.
Step Three:
Role-play emotions by choosing an item from the list of scenarios (8c)
and describing the scenario for the student. Demonstrate the
corresponding emotion through your facial expression and body
language. Ask the student to guess the facial expression that you just
demonstrated (refer to the Emotions Picture Chart for help if
needed). Discuss the elements of body language and facial changes
that you used to show emotion. Also discuss contextual clues such as
why a person in that scenario would feel that particular emotion. Ask
the student if they have ever felt that way or have ever been in a
similar situation.
Step Four:
Demonstrate how varying one’s body language and facial expressions
can completely change the meaning of an identical set of words. Say
an identical phrase several times, using different body language and
facial expressions each time to illustrate how the intended meaning
changes as the nonverbal clues change. For example, using the words
“We’re having spaghetti again for dinner tonight,” use body language
and facial expression messages to portray angry, happy, disgusted,
disappointed and confused. Ask the student to identify the correct
emotion and repeat the activity using different phrases and contexts.
Reverse roles with the student.
Step Five:
Use passages from books that are familiar to the student and have the
student guess the feelings, thoughts, and intentions of the characters,
using context clues. Demonstrate the body language and facial
features that the characters would likely be exhibiting. Predict what
happens next. Use the same steps using a video that is familiar to the
student by viewing a scene that demonstrates an emotion the student
has been working on.
Step Six:
Teach the student to recognize nonverbal and contextual clues in real
life situations. Look for situations in which the student is not directly
involved and ask the student to guess what the other people might be
thinking and feeling. Use contextual, body language and facial
expressions. Predict what might happen next.
Greetings and Good-Byes
Goals:
The goals are to equip the student with basic rules regarding:
Formal vs. informal greetings
Handshakes
The use of nonverbal clues during greetings and good-byes
Instructions:
Step One:
Teach rules for greetings and good-byes (9a). Discuss the rules and
why they are important.
Step Two:
Show examples of greeting and good-byes in movies. “Freeze-frame”
scenes to show different types of helps and goodbyes.
Step Three:
Create scripts for helps and good-byes. Refer to the examples of
completed “Words to use for Hello” and “Words to use for Good-bye”
charts (9b). Help the student fill out their own charts, following the
social and cultural customs of their environment.
Step Four:
Role-play by creating different scenarios in which two people meet
and greet one another. Vary the types of characters between familiar
and not-familiar adults and peers.
Repeat the above steps practicing ways to say good-bye.
Step Five:
Videotape sessions during which the student role-plays correct and
incorrect ways to say hello and good-by in different scenarios.
Review the video with the student and give specific and friendly
feedback. Ask the student to critique their own performance.
Step Six:
Use index cards to prompt greetings and good-byes in real life
situations. Help the student choose a small number of people she
frequently needs to greet or would like to greet. Then ask student or
assist in writing simple scripts for hello and good-bye cards for each
of these people. You can include boxes to check when the student has
greeted and said good-bye to each person. Choose different people
and make new cards periodically. Prompt the student to carry the
greetings and good-byes, referring to the scripts prepared. Reinforce
the student each time an attempt is made, even if the outcome is not
perfect at first. Give feedback after each greeting or good-bye,
keeping comments specific and positive.
Initiating Conversations
Goals:
To provide the student with a set of basic rules for initiating
conversation
To help the student create scripts for starting conversations
To help the student apply these rules and scripts through the use of
role modeling and videotaping
Instructions:
Step One:
Teach rules for starting conversations. Introduce the student to the
mnemonic, “PATHS.” This mnemonic contains five rules for starting
a conversation (10a).
P Prepare ahead
A Ask yourself what you are going to talk about
T Time it right
H Hello (say)
S Signals (nonverbal)
Refer to the handout (10a) and discuss the PATHS rules with the
student. It may be helpful for the student to memorize the mnemonic
and to actively recall it before starting conversations during this
program and in real life situations.
Step Two:
Show examples of conversation starters in video movies that have
good examples of conversation starters. Try to use movies that
pertain to student’s interests. “Freeze frame” various scenes to show
beginnings of conversations and discuss how the actors used or did
not use the rules from step one.
Step Three:
Help the student prepare “fact files” on index cards as described in
the PATHS handout. Assist the student in choosing a few people they
know fairly well and ask the student to interview one person on their
list. They will use this information to complete a fact file for that
person. Role-play the interview process a few times before the actual
interview. Help the student collect a few facts about the person on
one side of the card, and interests on the other side. Repeat this
activity over several sessions until they have collected several fact files
on people they see on a regular basis.
Next, help the student fill out a “Conversations Starters Chart” (10b).
Have the student use the information from the fact files to complete
the chart. Paying someone a compliment is a great way to start a
conversation with almost anyone.
Step Four:
Create different scenarios in which one person starts up a
conversation with another person or with a group of people. Create
some characters that area adults and some that are children of
varying ages. Begin by using scenarios drawn from the student’s
Conversations Starters Chart, and then expand the exercise in further
sessions to include new scenarios. Using PATHS rules from Step
One, role-play the scenarios with the student. Begin working with
students individually, reversing roles intermittently. Later, work in
pairs or small groups. The teacher acts as facilitator, and prompts
students to use the PATHS rules as they practice conversations.
Step Five:
Practice initiating conversations in real life situations. Have the
student choose a person from their Conversations Starters Chart with
whom she can practice starting a conversation later that day. Have
the student think of a topic of interest to the other person and
rehearse the script. Review the PATHS rules. Prompt the student to
start the conversation when she feels the timing is right. If possible,
let the other person know in advance that the student will be
approaching him or her to practice starting a conversation later that
day. Video the student initiating conversations with different people
in a variety of settings. Replay the tapes and give feedback and ask
the student to critiques their own performance.
Using Nonverbal Conversational Skills: Making
Sense in Conversations
Goals:
To teach the student the following conversational skills:
Space – Maintaining the right physical distance from the other
person
Eye Contact – Making appropriate eye contact
Nodding - Nodding the head to show attention, agreement and
disagreement
Statements of Encouragement – Making standard, brief comments
such as “hmm,” “uh huh,” or “really!” to show encouragement or
attention.
Expressions – Using appropriate facial expression and body language
Instructions:
Step One:
Introduce the SENSE skills using the handout (11a.) Demonstrate
each of the SENSE skills for the student, and discuss the function of
each skill. Demonstrate with another teacher or aide while the
student observes.
Step Two:
View scenes with the student from a variety of videos, pausing at
various scenes to show the actor’s use of the SENSE skills within
different conversations. Choose one or two of the SENSE skills to
work on at a time spending as much time as needed for the student to
learn one skill well before moving on.
Step Three:
Use the SENSE skill in practice conversations by targeting one or two
of the skills to work on, and review then with the student. Point out
that you will be rehearsing these skills in short practice conversations.
Next, prompt the student to choose a topic that will be of interest to
both of you and the student and ask him to start a short conversation.
Start with two or three minute conversations and slowly increase to
ten-minute conversations over several sessions. Have the student
practice with another student after the student is competent using the
skills with an adult.
Step Four:
Use the SENSE skills in naturally occurring conversations and
reinforce skills through the use of videotapes. Look for situations
where there are small numbers of people present, and where the
students know and are comfortable with the other people present.
Attempt to provide an activity that is fun, allowing for conversation,
and is of general interest to the group. Reinforce students when they
spontaneously use the SENSE skills in naturally occurring situations.
Public vs. Private
Goals:
To teach the student to distinguish what types of topics are safe and
appropriate in various setting and with different categories of people.
To discern what types of activities are safe and appropriate in various
settings and with different categories of people.
To recognize in what types of places it is safe and appropriate to be
with different categories of people.
Instructions:
Step One:
Using the “Privacy Circles” template, work with the student and their
caregivers to create a Privacy Circles Chart that is individualized to
the student. See figures 15e for an example of a completed privacy
chart. The innermost circle is always labeled with the student’s name.
Subsequent circles, however, will vary according to the make-up of
the student’s family and other social contacts. It is critical to consult
with the student’s family regarding activities and viewpoints before
working on this program.
Step Two:
Match conversational topics with appropriate Privacy Circles. Using
the List of Conversational Topics (15a), choose a topic and ask the
student to identify where that topic belongs on he Privacy Circles
Chart. For example, if you chose the item “your address,” the student
might choose the “Other Friends” circle. This answer indicates that
the student feels that it is acceptable for her to share her address with
people in the “Other Friends” circle and with people in all circles
inward from that one. Discuss the student’s response, giving
examples and detailed feedback. Redirect to a more acceptable
answer, if necessary. Repeat this step over as many sessions as
needed, covering a variety of topics.
Step Three:
Match places with appropriate Privacy Circles. Using the List of
Places (15b), choose a place and ask the student where the place
belongs on the Privacy Circle Chart (Blank Privacy Circles Chart
p.321.) For example, if you choose “bedroom, with door closed,” a
female student probably would be safe in choosing “Sisters” circle on
the Privacy Circles Chart. This means that it would be okay for that
student to be in a bedroom with the doors closed with her sisters or
with the individuals listed in the circles inward from that. Discuss the
student’s response, giving specific feedback and redirecting to a more
appropriate circle, if necessary. Rotate step three with steps two and
four to keep the activity more interesting.
Step Four:
Match activities with appropriate Privacy Circles using the List of
Activities (15c) by choosing an activity and asking the student to
identify where that activity belongs on the chart. For example, if you
choose “sitting close to the other person,” the student choose the
“Other Friends” circle. This response shows that the student feels
that it is okay to sit close to people who are in the “Other Friends”
circle and the circles inward from that. Carefully discuss the student’s
answer redirecting her to a different response, if necessary.
Notes:
The list presented can be modified to meet the needs of the individual
student. Certain individuals, such as police officers, counselors,
pastors and doctors form a special category of people who may, at
times, be privy to very personal information that would not otherwise
be shared with someone they do not know well. Social stories can be
used to help the student understand what is expected when
interacting with people in this category. (15d is an example of a social
story written for this purpose.)