How to help a teenager with ASD socialize

Recommendations to promote relationship and conflict resolution skills

Mental Health Area. Sant Joan de Déu Hospital Barcelona

The use of free time is very varied among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) , but on many occasions the few social relationships may be linked to the difficulty in getting involved in extracurricular activities, sports or cultural associations or other organized activities.

Like typically developing adolescents, adolescents with ASD spend a significant amount of time engaged in leisure activities, with watching television being the most frequent. However, in contrast to other adolescents, adolescents with ASD spend more time engaged in solitary tasks (watching television, using a computer, or reading) and less time participating in social activities. This pattern is more common in adolescents with ASD who also have an intellectual disability or comorbid behavioral difficulties, compared to adolescents with ASD without these comorbidities. Adolescents with ASD who are better at initiating and maintaining conversations with others exhibit more social interaction and participate more in group activities.

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In the case of adolescent girls with ASD , there are some similarities in their free time management compared to boys with ASD. Qualitative studies conducted with parents highlight a strong need for structured routines and a resistance to introducing new elements. Similarly, they may have great difficulty transitioning to other activities when engaged in their preferred pursuits, potentially leading to behavioral disturbances or blocks in these situations. Often, they have only one activity they want to do, making it difficult to diversify their free time options. Adolescent girls may exhibit an excessive interest in using new technologies . This use may be linked to trying to connect with peers, as is the case with typically developing adolescents, but adolescents with ASD have significant difficulty interpreting the content of messages, even contextualizing graphic elements such as emoticons, which generates numerous misunderstandings in interactions. In other cases, they develop an excessive interest in a particular celebrity, YouTuber , or influencer . These hobbies can be shared with girls of typical development; however, the circumscribed, limited nature and intensity of the interest in girls with ASD stands out.

The adolescent with autism spectrum disorder

Girls with ASD may have a high desire to socialize, which is a positive aspect; however, this can lead them to initiate contact with unknown people, for example, on social networks, with the risks that this implies.

Recommendations to promote relationship and conflict resolution skills:

Promote social interaction and communication strategies. This work may require the intervention of specialized professionals, but it can also be fostered within the family and school environment. Training in conversation skills can be very useful for adolescents to connect with their peers.
Encourage appropriate leisure and free-time activities that allow for interaction with other teenagers, whether through organized activities or informal gatherings. In these situations, it may be necessary to help the teenager initiate contact and integrate into the group.
In situations of interpersonal conflict , it is important to help the adolescent learn to remain calm, identify the problem and their emotions, look for alternative solutions, and then test and evaluate these alternatives.
For girls with ASD , the same recommendations as for boys are helpful. It is also recommended to help them interpret more subtle verbal and nonverbal cues, indicative of conflict, that may appear in relationships between girls. Furthermore, it is important to teach them simple strategies for asking for help and to help them identify people in their trusted circle in the different environments they frequent, so that these people can support them in social situations they cannot or do not know how to manage on their own.
It also promotes strategies for the safe use of social networks , in addition to introducing "expected" and "unexpected" attitudes and themes within them.
In some situations, using social scripts can be helpful. These are explicit descriptions of the sequence of steps to take in a specific situation. This strategy helps you know how to behave and what is expected of you. For example, at a friend's party, you can explicitly state that you should greet people, eat or drink something, and talk while you're at it.

This is an original article from the 12th FAROS Report "A look at the mental health of adolescents - Keys to understanding and supporting them".