ABSTRACT
While most of us will recognize that a good sense of humor can be socially magnetic and charming, inappropriate use of humor is one of the fastest ways to push people away . After only one inappropriate joke or off-color remark from an acquaintance and most people are done with that person. Unfortunately, humor is perhaps one of the more outstanding and obvious social deficits for many people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Teens with ASD often have substantial deficits in understanding punch lines to jokes, particularly when sarcasm is involved. Even with these deficits, many teens with ASD like to tell jokes. Yet their humor tends to be inappropriate for their age: either too socially immature or excessively sophisticated for their audience. These deficits, coupled with insensitivity to feedback from others after joke telling, are the reasons for the inclusion of this lesson.
