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Succeeding in School

Choose A Social Skills Group To Take Your Autistic Child To So They Can Learn How To Become A Functioning Member Of Society

2 August 2017

Isabella Bennett

Autistic children often have a hard time in social situations because their condition limits their ability to interact with other people. For many autistic children, the only way they learn how to handle social situations is through social skills groups. In these groups, the children develop skills that other people can do with ease on a daily basis. The following guide walks you through a few things to look for when searching for a social skills group for your child.

Choose a Group That Is Led by a Special Needs Certified Specialist

When taking your child to a social skills group, you want to be sure that it is led by someone who has experience with children with autism and knows how to handle the intricate details of the condition. Some autistic children are very introverted and some are very extroverted. Having both types of personalities in one room can create a difficult situation. Someone who is trained in autism will know how to soothe the children when they are overwhelmed or upset and how to guide them to become more socially inept.

Choose a Group That Is Small

Large groups of people can often overwhelm autistic children. It is best to choose a group that is smaller in size and that always has the parents of the children in the room during the group meetings. There are many children who are able to feel more relaxed when they can see their parents rather than when they feel left alone because it makes them worried and nervous.

Choose a Group with Children on Varying Placements on the Autism Spectrum

Autism is called a spectrum disease. That means that children with autism can have varying degrees of functionality and still be labeled as being autistic. Having children in the group that fall into different levels in the spectrum can help low-functioning autistic children learn from the high-functioning children and help the high-functioning children learn how to communicate when someone is not always easy to understand.

It is important to make sure that the meetings are not too long. The children could become bored, agitated, or angry if the meetings last for a long period of time because they will lose interest in them. Do not bring distractions with your child when you take them to the meeting. Leave electronic devices in the car so that they cannot see or hear them during the meeting. This will help them to focus on the skills that they are trying to learn in the group.

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