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"I Feel Invisible": Helping Children with Autism Spectrum
Disorder Develop Skills to Combat Social Isolation
in Primary SchoolRaelene Dundon
Director/Principal PsychologistOkey Dokey Childhood Psychology
Myth: Children with ASD are not interested in having friends• Therestillappearstobeacommonbelief inthecommunity
thatchildrenwithAutismarenotinterested ininteractingwithothersandarehappier playingontheirown.
• While this may be true for some, many children with ASD do want to have friends, but may not have the skills they need to be successful in forming peer relationships.
• When a child with ASD is unsuccessful in their efforts to make friends, or is rejected by peers, they can become socially isolated.
“I feel invisible in the playground.”
Tom, aged 7
“I try to talk to them but they walk away.”
Why do children with ASD experience social difficulties?Children with ASD often demonstrate delays in a number of areas important in social skill development including: • Theory of Mind – taking another person’s point of view• Joint Attention – sharing experiences• Central Coherence – seeing the whole picture• Imagination – being able to see possibilities• Communication – verbal and nonverbal
How do these delays impact on social interactions?These delays can result in difficulties with:• recognising emotions in themselves and others and
responding appropriately• predicting the behaviour of others• guessing what a person is thinking• modifying behaviour in different situations• making sense of cues in the environment• considering alternate outcomes in social situations• making and maintaining social connections
Why are peer relationships important?• Promote emotional and moral development.• Provide a context to practice communication, cooperation,
problem solving and decision making.• Create a sense of belonging and security.• Improve school performance.• Foster a greater sense of well being and better self-esteem.• Provide opportunities to learn how to lead and follow, win
and lose, and follow rules.
How can Social Isolation impact children with ASD?Social Isolation can have negative effects on the wellbeing and mental health of children with ASD and may lead to:• loneliness• negative self-worth• social avoidance• anxiety• depression
How can we support social inclusion? To support children with ASD to have social success and be socially included we need to:• Assist children with ASD to develop
social skills• Provide training and education to
peers and children with ASD to help build peer relationships
Strategies for Developing Social Skills• Explicit Teaching of Social Rules and Routines• Activities to Develop Understanding of Thoughts and
Feelings in Self and Others• Role-Play and Behavioural Rehearsal• Video Modelling
Explicit Teaching of Social Rules• Explicitly teach common social rules and routines (e.g.
greetings, compliments, apologies, farewells).• Give clear descriptions of what is expected in specific
situations.• Start with rigid boundaries and build in flexibility later.
Explicit Teaching of Social Rules• For Example: Teach skills for initiating play and joining in.
- Break the skill up into parts or steps the child can follow (e.g. move closer, look, listen, make a comment or ask a question)
- Learnt phrases can be helpful: “Can I please have a turn?” “Hi, what are you doing?” “Can I play too?”
- Important to also teach what the child should do if their peers say “No.”
Thoughts and Feelings Activities• Emotion thermometers• Explain emotions in everyday situations• Explicit teaching of facial expressions and
body language• Reading stories and watching programs
featuring a range of emotions• Computer Software & Apps
www.csefel.uiuc.edu
Role-Play and Behavioural Rehearsal• Provides an opportunity to learn and practice skills• Can use puppets, toys, peers or adults• Less threatening with toys
or familiar people• Allows consideration of different
perspectives and possibilities in interactions
Video Modelling• Video Modelling can be used to demonstrate and teach
specific social skills. • Videos can be ‘home made’ or
purchased as premade DVDs (e.g. Model Me Kids).
• Provides information in a non-threatening way.
• Screens are often motivating for children with ASD.• Videos can be viewed repeatedly.• After viewing, the skills can be discussed and practiced.
Strategies for Building Peer Relationships• Peer Mentoring• Buddy Systems and Group Work• Explicit Teaching about Friendships• Facilitating Playdates• Knowledge of Current Trends
Peer Mentoring• The mentor should be a classmate of the child with ASD,
have age appropriate social and play skills, and have a history of positive interactions with the child with ASD.
• ASD should be explained in an age appropriate way and the mentor trained/advised on how to prompt or respond to the child with ASD in different situations.
• Teachers/adults can facilitate interactions and then step back and allow the social situation to evolve more naturally with the mentor’s support.
Buddy Systems and Group Work• Working in small groups at school allows children to talk
and participate in a less overwhelming environment and can be more easily facilitated by an adult.
• An older buddy at school provides a child with a special friend that can give guidance and support and also facilitate involvement with peers.
Explicit Teaching about Friendships• Describe what a friend is and what being a friend means• Teach what friendly and unfriendly behaviours are and
what they look like• Develop skills in conflict
management with peers
Facilitating Playdates• Arrange play-dates with children from school:
- Teach the rules associated with having a friend to play- Plan out the activities available and facilitate joint play
wherever possible.- Add in regular breaks where appropriate (e.g. snacks)- Remove toys of special significance to reduce the
likelihood of conflict.• Get your child involved in activities that encourage social
interaction (scouts, auskick, after school care, etc.)
Knowledge of Current Trends• Can be used to facilitate a ‘way in’ for children who struggle
initiating interactions.• Do some ‘research’ into what kids in your child’s class are
interested in and playing with.• Explore whether any of these things could also be of
interest to your child and introduce the idea.• Help your child learn the rules or details of the toy or game.• Give your child ideas about how to talk to other kids about
this topic or join in a game.
Summary• Social Isolation can result in feelings of rejection,
loneliness, and negative self-worth in children with ASD, and may lead to the development of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
• To combat social isolation, we need to assist children with ASD to develop the skills necessary to interact with peers successfully, and educate peers to accept and support their classmates with ASD.
• With support and guidance, children with ASD can develop positive peer relationships and have social success in the classroom and playground.
Thank you for listening
Raelene Dundon, Psychologist, MAPSOkey Dokey Childhood Psychology, Melbourne
References• Kasari, Connie and Lindsey Sterling. "Loneliness and Social Isolation in Children with Autism
Spectrum Disorders." The Handbook Of Solitude: Psychological Perspectives on Social Isolation, Social Withdrawal, and Being Alone. Coplan, Robert J. and Julie C. Bowker (eds). Blackwell Publishing, 2014.
• Bass, J. & Mulick, J. (2007). Social Play Skill Enhancement of Children with Autism Using Peers and Siblings as Therapists. Psychology in the Schools, 44(7)
• Frankel, F., Gorospe, C., Chang, Y. & Sugar, C. (2011). Mothers’ reports of play dates and observation of school playground behaviour of children having high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 52(2)
• C.Kasari, J.Locke, A.Gulsrud & E.Rotheram-Fuller (2011) Social Networks and Friendships at School: Comparing Children With and Without ASD, Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 41:533–544
• Tarin Varughese (2011) Social Communication Cues for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Related Conditions: How to give great greetings, pay cool compliments and have fun with friends. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
• Barbara Cooper and Nancy Widdows (2008) Knowing Yourself, Knowing Others: A workbook for children with Asperger’s disorder, nonverbal learning disorder, and other social-skills problems. Instant Help Books.
