Copyright 2010 The Open Door Autism Learning Center:
High Functioning Autism.  All Rights Reserved.

Pro-Social Communication Skills

For the person on the Autism Spectrum, deficits in the ability to socially communicate, by knowing what to say, when to say it and to who to say it to, is a lasting difficulty.  Though the individual makes progress in almost all other areas of development, this deficit lingers well into adulthood. 

Red flags in area of Pro-Social Skills:

Does not make spontaneous greetings, or engage in small talk.

Does not ask for help or use questions to clarify information misunderstood.

Over focuses on their interest

Does not perceive how their behavior affects other people.

Gets upset if can’t do what they want, or must stop on request.

Can’t keep his/her thought in  mind, and also listen to someone else speaking at the same time. Difficulty focusing on two things at once.





What Is Asperger Syndrome?
By Barbara L. Kirby
Founder of the OASIS Web site (www.aspergersyndrome.org)

Co-author of THE OASIS GUIDE TO ASPERGER SYNDROME
(Crown, 2001, Revised 2005)

Asperger Syndrome or (Asperger's Disorder) is a neurobiological disorder named for a
Viennese physician, Hans Asperger, who in 1944 published a paper which described a
pattern of behaviors in several young boys who had normal intelligence and
language development, but who also exhibited autistic-like behaviors and marked
deficiencies in social and communication skills.
  Individuals with AS can exhibit a variety of characteristics and the disorder can range from    mild to severe. Persons with AS show marked deficiencies in social skills, have difficulties      with transitions or changes and prefer sameness. They often have obsessive routines and    may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. They have a great deal of
  difficulty reading nonverbal cues (body language) and very often the individual with AS
  has difficulty   determining proper body space.
  Often overly sensitive to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights, the person with AS may prefer    soft clothing, certain foods, and be bothered by sounds or lights no one else seems to
  hear or see.
  It's important to remember that the person with AS perceives the world very differently.
  Therefore, many behaviors that seem odd or unusual are due to those neurological
  differences and not the result of intentional rudeness or bad behavior, and most certainly
  not the result of "improper parenting".
  By definition, those with AS have a normal IQ and many individuals (although not all),
  exhibit exceptional skill or talent in a specific area. Because of their high degree of
  functionality and their naiveté, those with AS are often viewed as eccentric or odd and can
  easily become victims of teasing and bullying.
  While language development seems, on the surface, normal, individuals with AS often have
  deficits in pragmatics and prosody. Vocabularies may be extraordinarily rich and some
  children sound like "little professors." However, persons with AS can be extremely literal
  and have difficulty using language in a social context.