One of the most common autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms is an inability to understand social customs and body language. Everyone wants to have friends, and helping a teen with autism to make friends is vital to their self-esteem and building vital social skills that many teens with ASD do not have. Living with autism and difficulties with making friends can lead to anxiety and unwanted behavior if your teen doesn’t know how to interact with others.
At Camp Worth, we understand the importance of individual and group therapy to give your teen living with autism the social skills they need to interact with others without any inappropriate behavior. If your teen needs help with their social skills, call 855.915.2545 or complete our online form today to learn more about our social skills group and how it can help your teen with autism to gain the skills needed for making new friends.
Understanding Autism and Friendship
Teens with ASD struggle to make new friends because they can become easily frustrated when they don’t understand what others are saying. Or, teens with autism take things literally as they will not understand sarcasm or other subtle social nuances. It can be difficult to keep up in fast-paced conversations as it takes longer to process information. Sometimes, they will need to repeat what others say to them to understand. Breaking the flow of conversation and causing potentially more anxiety
Body language is something they struggle with and they may sometimes come across as too affectionate as they try to fit in. Other social situations that can cause anxiety or frustration in teens with autism when making new friends include:
- Inappropriate hugging and touching
- Making eye contact
- Sensory overload
- Inability to understand their feelings and emotions
- Peer pressure to be accepted
Helping a teen with autism to make friends can be challenging if you are not familiar with the trouble your teen has with making friends. Enrolling them in a social skills group can give them the confidence and practice they need for making new friends and much more.
Social Skills Group for Teens with Autism
Group and individual therapy are essential for your teen living with ASD to lead a happy and healthy life. In a social skills group, your teen will face real-world situations where they can practice their social skills in a safe and structured environment. They will learn how to interact with others appropriately and recognize and talk about their feelings instead of acting out irrationally. During their social skills group, they will:
- Learn about behaviors and social queues
- Work on conversational timing
- Create better cognitive and language skills in dealing with others
- Teach through real-world teachable moments
There is no cure for autism spectrum disorder, but you can help your teen live a more independent life through a social skills group that can work with your teen’s autism so they learn healthy friendship-building methods.
Help Your Teen with Autism to Make Friends at Camp Worth
Helping a teen with autism to make friends is one of our main goals at Camp Worth. We understand how autism and making friends can cause anxiety or harmful behavior as teens living with autism struggle to understand their feelings and emotions in social situations. Our social skills group will give them the communication skills they lack and show them how to understand better their feelings and what they mean.
If your teen is having difficulty with social situations, call Camp Worth today at 855.915.2545 or complete our online form to learn more about our social skills group and how we can help improve your teen’s social and communication skills. Reach out to our Camp Worth team today.
