Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a psychological disorder marked by impairment in social communication, emotional intelligence, social interaction, and social recognition. Social impairment is the most severe symptom among people with ASD. This is especially so among adolescents who cannot interact and communicate with their peers in general settings and classrooms. This paper seeks to evaluate the effects of ASD on the social functioning of adolescents.
Discussion
The period of adolescence is associated with more communication as individuals develop distinct social networks with their peers. Adolescents converse more with their peers as they seek to understand their life experiences better. These social exchanges are complex since adolescents aim at understanding themselves and their peers (Babb et al., 2020). Positive social interactions with peers are essential in facilitating good quality of life during adolescence. Social interactions with peers play an imperative role in the development of adolescents. In turn, socialization enhances the success and well-being of these adolescents.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
By interacting with peers, adolescents develop the appropriate communication skills and also develop an identity. Besides, creating positive relationships with peers supports the development of cognitive, emotional, and social competencies. Nabors et al. (2017) stated that meaningful participation in adolescent conversations requires people to have the ability to use and interpret verbal and non-verbal skills, respond appropriately and engage in turn-taking during conversations. People who are unable to form rewarding peer relationships develop feelings of loneliness and depression.
Adolescents suffering from ASD experience major deficits in their social skills. For example, people with ASD cannot interpret verbal and non-verbal cues, initiate conversations, respond to their peers or maintain a topic during conversations. Adolescents with ASD and other complex communication needs experience significant deficits in social interactions (Babb et al., 2020). Complex communication needs are the deficits experienced when speech does not meet all the needs of an individual. While some individuals with ASD use speech to interact with other people, about 40% do not have functional or fluent speech. These people have additional challenges such as social isolation, difficulty creating and maintaining friends, and inability to engage in the typical adolescent recreational activities.
Most autistic adolescents learn in mainstream classrooms with their abled counterparts. About 60% of autistic adolescents append 40% of their time in general public classrooms (Babb et al., 2020). Due to their social deficits, adolescents with ASD have limited interactions with the typically developing students. Despite learning in mainstream classrooms, most autistic adolescents do not interact with their peers, even when they are close to them.
Most adolescents with ASD report that they have one friend whom they talk to, engage in activities, and trust. Adolescents with ASD know that they have few friends, poor social skills, and unable to develop close relationships (Nabors et al., 2017). Besides, adolescents with ASD cannot establish friendships with their peers since they cannot build relationships. These deficits reduce their opportunities to develop close friendships and interact with their peers.
Adolescents who have ASD spend less time having social interactions with their peers. As such, they may suffer from isolation and loneliness. Scholars have proposed various social skill interventions that would improve the interaction of the abled and autistic adolescents in classrooms (Babb et al., 2020). The most successful approaches are the ones that address the behaviors portrayed by the ASD students and their typical counterparts. For instance, improving the adolescents’ communication skills and abilities to engage in two-way conversations with their peers reduces social isolation among adolescents with ASD. Enhancing communication among people with ASD can be achieved by focusing on activities they find interesting, offering instruction about making friendships, speaking to, and interacting with peers increases the rate of interactions.
Conclusion
This paper has evaluated the effect of autism on adolescents' social development and their interaction with peers in the classroom. It has been established that adolescents with ASD cannot interact with their peers due to their significant deficits in social interaction. Even in mainstream classrooms, these adolescents are unable to communicate with their typical peers. Some of the interventions that would increase social interaction between ASD adolescents and their abled counterparts in the classroom include talking about the need to form relationships and engaging in the activities they like.
References
Babb, S., Raulston, T. J., McNughton, D., Lee, J-Y. & Weintraub, R. (2020). The effects of social skill interventions for adolescents with autism: A meta-analysis. Remedial and Special Education. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932520956362
Nabors, L., Hawkins, R., Yockey, A. R., Booker, S. & Tipkemper, A. (2017). Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Friendships and social interactions. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders. 1(1): 14-20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-016-0001-5
