In this blog, we will talk about social skills and ABA
Social skills deficits are a common symptom of ASD. When social skills and ABA programming come together, they can be taught individually to clients with autism spectrum disorder. This can be done individually as well in a group format embedded in preferred activities.
Applied examples: targeting and teaching social skills
Social skills are skills we use to communicate with others. This can include verbal and non verbal communication as well as body language.
Social skills can involve basic communication, empathy, problem solving, flexible thinking and much more. Some of these skills operate under the premises of unwritten social ‘rules’ or etiquette. Therefore in some cases social skills need to be explicitly taught.
Examples of social skills taught for younger clients may be:
- joint attending
- turn taking
- eye contact
- following directions in play.
For elementary aged children skills may include:
- beginning a conversation
- giving compliments
- discovering shared interests with others
Adolescents can practice:
- having two way conversations
- using humor appropriately
- tolerating disagreements.
All skills chosen should be based on some form of an assessment.
Social Skills and ABA at ABI
At ABI we believe that all clients and families deserve to be Ready for Life. We teach age and developmentally appropriate social skills and personalize our social skills and ABA programs for each of our clients. Customized treatment help our clients gain integral skills to interact with others and navigate their community.
Our learners practice their social skills in many different ways!
For clients that learn better with one on one instruction, ABI clinicians teach skills explicitly with prompting and reinforcement.
Some clients are able to learn in a group format and a social skills group can include a group of clients working on similar social skills. ABI clinicians also often use role playing and video modeling to teach social skills.
At ABI, our engaging and talented staff teach social skills in all of these formats!
YOUR INITIAL ABA SERVICES CONSULTATION IS COMPLIMENTARY.
We would love to talk to you about ABA services over the phone or take you on a tour of one of our ‘Ready for Life’ centers. Above all our care professionals will take the time to answer your questions about ABA therapy and offer any support we can provide.
Call: 617 402 5444
Email: [email protected]
