Some children may show many early signs of Autism, whereas others might show only one or two while other symptoms become evident as the child grows up. Children with Autism frequently experience stress for various reasons like daily chores or activities, struggle to express their distress and provoking anxiety, which can lead to disruptive behaviour hence, to help them grow and develop to their full potential, building a supportive and suitable environment so that the autistic child feels safe and secure.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Prarthana Karumbaiah K, Developmental Paediatrician and Associate Professor at Ramaiah Memorial Hospital in Bangalore, shared, “Skills which develop to interact and communicate with another person and is appropriate to situations and is acceptable by the society are termed as Social skills. In a child with Autism which is characterised by difficulties in social interaction and social communication across multiple contexts, it hinders the normal development of the child from developing relationship with parents, family to making friends with peer group.”

Developing social skills in children with autism is challenging and an evolving process as the child grows older. Dr Prarthana Karumbaiah K advised, “The social skills should help the child to play with others by sharing, taking turns, interacting with others with words or actions manage emotions and solve problems. Some of the strategies which can be used are role play, practice playing together (ball games, hide and seek, simon says, board games like Jenga, etc). Before a social visit or a visit to the dentist, barber etc, caretaker accompanying the child can watch videos or observe others to recognise the process and also learn courtesy skills. Social stories introduced by Carol Gray which is a story with a social element, go a long way in teaching the child how to behave in certain situations. They also help the child to anticipate the emotional reciprocity expected in the situations.”