Noticing Social Cues
To one degree or another, many individuals with autism fail to automatically pick up on social cues and mirror what folks around them are doing. Many factors can stand in the way of a person following the lead of other individuals in a group setting. Because one key element in successful social interaction is mirroring, we need to be patient detectives, collecting clues to be able to pinpoint the problem and help our friends with autism learn to notice and follow social cues.
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1. Because a deficit in social interaction is one of the characteristics inherent in autism, it is possible that our friends simply do not notice what other people are doing around them.
2. It is possible that some individuals with autism do notice what their peers are doing, but they do not know how to respond, or they do not inherently know what response is expected.
3. Our friends with autism may know what response is expected, but they do not know how to initiate and sequence that response.
4. Many individuals with autism resist changes in routine, so it might be that they simply do not want to try something new.
5. Because some individuals with autism have a narrow and rigid repertoire of interests, it may be that they do not care what other people do. They may be engrossed in their own specific interests.
6. Sometimes a well-meaning teacher or family member or friend will jump into the situation quickly and guide the person into following the social cues. For example, in one classroom, when the teacher said, “Everyone come over for reading group,” the teaching assistant immediately said, “Susan, stand now and walk to the reading table.” It is actually possible that “Susan” would have followed her fellow students to the table on her own, but she was never given an opportunity to do so.
7. Well-meaning friends also tend to give too many verbal instructions. Some individuals with autism have deficits in processing verbal language, so they must “re-start” the process every time someone repeats an instruction. In this case, we could all help our friends with autism by sitting quietly and giving them a chance to process the verbal instruction, to notice how their peers are responding, and to formulate a response on their own.
TIP FOR THE DAY. Before we can develop an effective strategy for teaching social skills to our friends with autism who need that guidance, we must take time to determine the reasons behind their deficits in being able to follow social cues and blend in with the crowd.
NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me a confidential email at talk@FAQautism.com with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com
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