People with autism may face various communication challenges that can hinder building relationships and making friends.A research study showed that young adults with autism spectrum disorder were significantly more likely not to see friends, be excluded from activities, and be socially isolated. A lack of social bonding with peers can lead to long-term physical and mental health issues. People with autism can have difficulty building bonds and friendships because of the following social communication challenges:
As stated above, Social Pragmatic Skills are an area of concern for those children who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. These children may exhibit difficulties in making appropriate eye contact with their peers and adults, turn-taking during a conversation, staying on an established topic, as well as using spoken language meaningfully. It can also involve emotional and self-regulation while interacting with others, understanding others points of view, and interpreting non-verbal cues like facial expressions, gestures, and body language.
Other Social Pragmatic Skills that may be problematic for a child with ASD include:
- Flexible Thinking or shifting thoughts or plans to adapt to the surrounding environment.
- Abstract Concepts and Shades of Gray or understanding things that cannot be seen, heard, or felt, such as words like “happy,” “colorful,” or “amazing.” Shades of gray are when the meaning of a word or phrase is unclear, leading to difficulty understanding jokes and figurative language.Collaborative Skills
- Collaborative skills are when someone works successfully toward a common goal with others in a group. Examples of collaborative skills include listening to others and following agreed-upon rules for discussions, building on another’s ideas, continuing a conversation through multiple exchanges and understanding feelings and another’s perspective. Finally, an ASD child may have difficulties acknowledging differences in points of view during a conversation and responding appropriately to that information.
- Regulating their Emotions which allows a person to maintain their composure when stressed, anxious, annoyed, or frustrated. Having poor emotional regulation may lead to overreacting, heightened negative emotions, and emotional outbursts.
- Making Inferences is essential for social pragmatics. It is a very complex skill that requires reading a situation and deciphering the clues. Sometimes a child has trouble understanding how to use pragmatic skills or social skills properly. The specific cause of a pragmatic language disorder is unknown.
Does Speech Therapy Work For Children With Autism?
Our clinicians can teach the social skills needed to help children with autism succeed emotionally and socially. A speech therapist will allow the person to connect to the new social skill that they have learned and apply it to many situations and areas in their life.
