Social Interaction and Autism

Additional Information

NICE Guidance for Adults on the Autism Spectrum

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Evidence makes the following recommendations re the treatment of social interaction difficulties in adults on the autism spectrum.

'For adults with autism without a learning disability or with a mild to moderate learning disability, who have identified problems with social interaction, consider:

• a group-based social learning programme focused on improving social interaction
• an individually delivered social learning programme for people who find group-based activities difficult.'

'Social learning programmes to improve social interaction should typically include:

• modelling
• peer feedback (for group-based programmes) or individual feedback (for individually delivered programmes)
• discussion and decision-making
• explicit rules
• suggested strategies for dealing with socially difficult situations.'

Source:Autism: recognition, referral, diagnosis and management of adults on the autism spectrum (2012). London: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Read Full Item (New Window)

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NICE Guidance for Children and Young People on the Autism Spectrum

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Evidence makes the following recommendations re the treatment of core features (such as communication difficulties) of autism in children and young people.

'Consider a social-communication intervention for the management of the core features of autism in children and young people. For pre-school children consider delivering the intervention with parent, carer or teacher mediation. For school-aged children consider delivering the intervention with peer mediation.

'A social-communication intervention should include training for parents, carers and teachers in strategies for increasing joint attention and reciprocal communication, using techniques such as video-feedback methods. Such strategies should

• be appropriate for the child or young person's developmental level and sensitive and responsive to their patterns of communication and interaction
• include techniques of modelling and feedback
• include techniques to expand communication, interactive play and social routines'

Source: The management and support of children and young people on the autism spectrum. (2013). London: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Full item (Open in New Window)

Related Additional Information

• Social Skills

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Updated

16 Jun 2022