One of the major problems of autism is the inability to communicate and interact properly in a social setting. But as parents and teachers you need to instill upon the child the right guidance and training so that they manage to eventually overcome the problem that this disorder throws at them and emerge a winner. The problem of communication is one of the major flaws of autism and this symptom at an early stage often leads to the child being the butt of all jokes and having no friends at all. So for today let us focus our attention on understanding the problems that these special kids encounter while trying to strike up a conversation or when they make an attempt to start a friendship or do they even make the attempt at all?
Attempt in Making Friends With Their Peers
A few things needs to be kept in mind about the problems that they face and how to train them to camouflage these problems and achieve whatever they aspire for:
- Eye Contact – We all know that making eye contact while interacting is very important to create a bond and start a connection but if somebody is unable to make eye contacts then in all probability the conversation is going to fall flat on the face. The inability to see in the eyes is one of the major problems of autism that can be sorted with the right guidance and the constant insistence to change from parents and teachers. But it is important to remember that eye contact is necessary to show that you are interested in the conversation and also in the person.
- Give Personal Space – Relationships are all about giving the right space to people and also respecting each other’s space. Having that maturity to understand how much is too much and to draw yourself out at the right time is something that is difficult for autistic people to comprehend. So understanding them with their flaws, accepting it and then initiating friendship is something that many people are not willing to do. It is however in such times that parents and teachers come as the right guidance to teach them the basic etiquettes of not treading in somebody else’s personal space.
- Look For Common Interests – Any bond or conversation cannot last long enough if there is no common interests. Common likes and even dislikes form an integral part in strengthening your bond and making your conversation interesting. It is necessary to first zero in on those and several other traits that is necessary to initiate a conversation, must be taught to the autistic children so that they can manage to make great friends.
Autism as a disorder is one such health problem that has no cure but with time and the right medical assistance the impacts can be lessened. The process of reducing the impacts and teaching them the social skills and the basic etiquette is a simultaneous process that must be done together striking the perfect balance between these two processes.
