Autism Parenting Magazine Issue 87 (Member's Dashboard) | Page 61

COMMUNICATION Since reading and understanding social cues are difficult for many children with autism, special social interaction activities should be practiced every day. For example, a simple but effective activity, such as keeping eye contact for a certain amount of time, will make your child seem friendlier to others. around them, kids with ASD often do not notice or pay attention to the people around them. That is why children with special needs require explanations of the intricacies of social interactions. Discuss what happens in the classroom, such as how other kids behave, and highlight some social be- haviors that your child struggles with. By modeling a certain social behavior and providing a systematic guide for interacting with other kids, your child will have a better and clearer understanding of how so- cial interactions happen. Practicing Interaction Activities Since reading and understanding social cues are dif- ficult for many children with autism, special social interaction activities should be practiced every day. For example, a simple but effective activity, such as keeping eye contact for a certain amount of time, will make your child seem friendlier to others. Another important activity is learning to interpret emotions. Instead of using movies or cartoons, it would be much more useful to write down a list of emotions and express them in front of your child or a group of children with ASD. Attending Social Skills Training Programs Nowadays, you can find various educational pro- grams in your city for children with autism; for exam- ple, Emotion-Based Social Skills Training specializes in teaching social skills so that special needs children can end their difficulties with making friends, under- stand the behaviors of others, and interact with oth- er children without getting stressed or angry. Case studies have shown that such programs bring about excellent results when children with special needs attend them consistently. Find a Parent Support System It is very important for parents with autism to be patient and understanding and to find support for themselves. Sometimes adults can find it frustrating to be patient with and understand their children, and that is why parents need to find support groups that offer them platforms for communication where they can share their thoughts and approaches, dis- cuss problems, and find effective ways to overcome problems. Parent support groups provide various and effective strategies for finding ways to help par- ents. Look for parent support groups on the Internet and on social media. You will most likely find one within driving distance of where you live. There are a lot of methods and strategies that can be applied when trying to improve social skills for children with ASD. Special programs that can help such children with practicing social skills and devel- oping positive behaviors will certainly result in bet- ter social outcomes for you and your child. All of the above-mentioned methods will help children with autism to communicate with their peers and feel more comfortable in society. Paul Calderon is a top-rated writer working for EduBirdie, helping college students write excellent academic assignments. His fantastic writing skills have helped students to get high grades and im- prove their academic progress. He also has a son with autism and has had a lot of experience in help- ing him to succeed in school. Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 87 | 61