The intentionality of making and keeping friends

[Extract] Making friends and getting along with others is a big part of childhood. Within a safe and secure environment, children learn about important skills of friendship development including listening, helpfulness, shared activities, and organizing play. Yet, for many children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), making and keeping friends is anything but a simple process. These children often have limited understandings of social situations, including reading social cues and knowing the most appropriate responses in a given situation. They have a restricted repertoire of interests and antisocial behaviors, which curb their social interactions. Furthermore, they may require support to become competent decoders of the social world, including seeing things from another's perspective and guessing others' intentions. Part of this includes developing a theory of mind, thinking about their own and others mental experiences.

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The Autism Notebook Magazine

2015

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October/November

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