ABSTRACT
Strategies and Building Social Competence1
INTRODUCTION Children and youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) present major challenges to teachers and other caregivers. Specifically, they commonly display unique behavioral and social characteristics that need to be managed before they are able to develop essential knowledge, skills, and independent functioning abilities (Koegel & Koegel, 1995; Scheuerman & Webber, 2002). Individuals with ASD are characterized by social skill deficits, such as maintaining appropriate eye contact (Scheuermann & Webber, 2002), turntaking while interacting with peers (Schuler & Wolfberg, 2000; Simpson, Myles, Sasso, & Kamps, 1998), responding to peer initiations (Kamps, et al., 1992; Scheuermann & Webber), and initiating and maintaining socially acceptable peer interactions (McConnell, Sisson, Cort, & Strain, 1991; Sasso, Simpson, & Novak, 1985). Children and youth with autism are also well known for their behavioral excesses, including aggression (Scheuermann & Webber), self-stimulatory behavior (Howlin & Rutter, 1987; Scheuermann & Webber), self-injurious behavior (SIB) (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994; Scheuermann & Webber), atypical responses to sensory stimuli (Simpson & Regan, 1986; Wing, 2001), and a variety of other aberrant behaviors (Bell & Stein, 1992; Wing). Few
children with ASD present with all these behavioral and social deficits and excesses (e.g., relatively few individuals with ASD manifest significant SIB). Nonetheless, these challenging behaviors occur with such regularity that anyone who aspires to successfully teach, parent, or otherwise work with individuals with autism spectrum disorders requires the support of well-developed structuring and management methods.
