ABSTRACT
The focus of this lesson is on teaching teens how to organize and have successful get- togethers with potential friends. Socially accepted teens have frequent get- togethers with friends, both in their homes and in the community. They turn school acquaintances into close friends by spending time with friends outside of the school setting. Therefore, learning the skills necessary to be successful at having get- togethers is particularly important in helping teens make and keep friends. Research indicates that the best way to form close friendships is through organizing and frequently having social contact outside of structured interactions like school and extracurricular activities. In fact, studies show that getting together with friends after school is correlated with more social contacts at school. Since most teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) tend to have fewer social interactions with peers outside of school, learning how to organize and have successful get- togethers will be a pivotal skill toward the development of closer friendships for these socially challenged teens.
