It is no surprise that lots of autistic children struggle with social anxiety, as difficulties with social communication and interaction are a feature of autism. Autistic children may not understand what is expected of them in social situations, and they may also fear being perceived as different or “weird” by other kids. We know that the best way to overcome social anxiety is to put yourself in social situations, but for these experiences to be successful, many autistic kids will need some extra support. This is where “social coaching” comes in. By providing your child with social coaching, you are helping them develop the tools they need to better navigate social situations with their peers.
Social Skills
Autistic children often naturally have a hard time communicating with others, making it hard for them to develop social skills. For example, they may not know that people like talking about their own interests, or they may not make facial expressions that go with how they feel. That’s why it is especially important for you to identify what skills your child needs help improving on and guide them through social coaching exercises. But remember, there is only so much you can do! If you need more help with social skills, you can always seek out professional help for social skills (for example, through local social skills groups). There are also free resources, which we first mentioned back in Module 4:
