[Source: Leader Live]

What if instead of advising autistic children to make friends neurotypical-style, we ask what they want from friendship? A CSD researcher shares what she’s learned.

Speech-language pathologists who work with children: Raise your hand if you’ve had a parent ask for help increasing and improving their autistic child’s friendships. Keep it raised if this leaves you wondering what goals to write.

When I was working as a school-based SLP, my answer was writing goals to teach social skills. I theorized this would help my autistic students increase their interactions with peers, as well as the social appropriateness of those interactions. I was encouraged by the progress I often saw in our sessions. For example, many of my students were able to take an increased number of turns in social conversation, ask partner-focused questions, appropriately greet new communication partners, and signal their desire to end social interactions.

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