Social Skills Training For Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorders
About a dozen teens with social-communication disorders sit in a tight circle, cradled in couches and chairs in a conference room at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute. They listen intently as Marjorie Solomon, the leader of the Institute’s social skills training program, guides them in a discussion of what it means to have and be a friend. “What makes you trust another person?” Solomon asks. “Do you make friends easily? Do you pick friends who are similar to you?” she asks. The answers spill out, sometimes freely, sometimes with more coaxing. “I trust other people when I know they can keep a secret,” one participant volunteers. “Someone who will help me out in a jam,” another says. “Someone who will stick by me over time,” offers another. read more