How to Teach Social Behavior Modification to My Autistic Teen

Teenagers need effective social skills, and this is especially the case with autistic teenagers. These individuals require special focus and attention, and guidance to help ensure they have the best social foundation possible to make effective connections and establish and maintain relationships. Keep reading to find out how to begin the process of helping them learn the social skills they need to create meaningful relationships and manage their social interactions daily?

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What is Social Behavior Modification?

Simply put, social behavior modification uses specific techniques to create the desired behavior in individuals. This approach is particularly effective for individuals who have autism. This process involves teaching and altering behavior and individual reactions to occurrences and stimuli through a series of reinforcements. These techniques are essential for helping autistic teens adapt to social situations and allowing them to progress in the learning process.

The Four Types of Social Behavior Modification

There are four basic types or categories of social behavior modifications. These methods include the following.

Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Positive punishment
Negative punishment

Positive reinforcement is the ideal reinforcement method for teens with autism. When it comes to positive reinforcement, you essentially provide a reward for the teens when they exhibit the behavior patterns you desire. When your child receives this reward, it encourages them to keep displaying these behaviors in hopes of receiving future rewards. Over time, they establish good habits and display them naturally.

Some rewards can include praise, a boost in self-esteem, and even occasional treats or gifts. It’s worth noting that the best results are seen when the parent doesn’t solely rely on treats and gifts but rather establishes a value on the reward that comes with learning new skills and behaviors and the positive feelings they evoke. This desired effect can be established by pointing out progress and praising it positively.

The goal is to teach teens how their actions can not only positively affect their loved ones and friends, but also how they can provide positive feelings for themselves. Instilling a sense of accomplishment is a great motivator to continue to learn and improve.

How to Teach Social Skills for Autistic Teens

Social skills are imperative for those who have autism. Modifying their behaviors and reactions is essential, but special care must be taken to give the best results. There are a few steps associated with behavior modification. They include the following.

Step 1. Think First

how to teach social behavior modification to my autistic teen? — Think First

Thinking first is a recommended activity for anyone to do–even parents. Teach your child or student to stop and think about their reactions and feelings. Have them learn to channel them into a positive thought process that provides the desired outcome. Allowing them time to think about how they should react and move forward with a social skill is an essential first step towards creating good habits and the ideal approach to providing them with the desired outcome.

Step 2. Time Management Skills

Children and teens with autism usually have issues with time management. They have different perceptions of timelines and schedules, so focusing on this particular skill is essential for everyday life. Sticking to a strictly timed routine helps many individuals work through these issues. Schedules work as guidelines or templates for every day time management needs. It also helps to provide input or feedback about how long certain activities should be completed.

Step 3. Set Expectations

It’s important to set expectations for social skills, but make sure they are realistic. Small steps toward progress help teens feel a sense of accomplishment, giving them positive reinforcement to continue making positive strides. Don’t get frustrated with occasional setbacks; continue to work on personal expectations daily.

Step 4: Use Positive Reinforcement

When the desired behavior or takes is completed, it’s essential to use positive reinforcement to encourage that behavior in the future. There are many positive reinforcement tools you can use. Remember that they don’t always need to be a treat but can be praised. Positive reinforcement works for everyone too.

Step 5. Offer Options for Chore and Tasks

No one likes chores and tasks, but they must get them done. When an autistic teen has less-preferred activities to engage in during their day, you can give them choices between essential tasks and chores to help them feel more in control and help them with decision-making skills. Offering them a choice makes the takes less daunting, and they are more likely to complete them successfully.

Step 6: Use Visual Aids

Many autistic children are visual learners. They do well with visual aids such as dry-erase boards, charts, visual reward aids, and written schedules. Incorporate these tools to encourage your teen to complete tasks and help them stay on track and organized throughout the day. Creating visual aids can also be a fun activity for parents and teens. Post visual aids where they can access them readily and make them fun an interactive to encourage them to use them often.

Step 7: Practice Calming Techniques and Coping Skills

Autistic teens must have the tools they need to function independently at times. Essential skills include calming and coping techniques. Teach them various situations and help them practice them frequently. Find which methods work best and encourage them to use those skills whenever they need them, and perhaps we can try a few ourselves when we get overwhelmed. Calming techniques and coping skills are highly beneficial and there are many to try.

Step 8: Practice Social Transitions

Transitions from one social environment to another can be challenging for anyone, especially teens with autism. They may become temporarily overwhelmed or have trouble smoothly adjusting right away. Practice calming skills and how to judge each individual’s social situation. Have them practice skills related to adjusting, engaging with others, and managing stressful situations. Don’t expect perfection right away. Even some of us are still working on our social transition skills, but practice makes it easier.

Step 9: Stay Consistent

Staying consistent is a key to learning social skills. As parents and caregivers, it can be a challenge just to stay consistent through the day ourselves. However, teaching these skills is important, so we must put our best effort forward to be consistent daily. Always stick with the same learning system because autistic teens like to know what to expect and perform better under predictable situations. Just ensure your system is effective and establish a reliable routine and pattern of teaching these skills. Through daily practice, both you and your child can improve on consistency and have a smoother schedule with fewer hiccups.

Step 10: Focus on Emotional Regulation

A big challenge for people with autism is emotional regulation. Teens with autism are especially susceptible to quickly changing emotions. It’s crucial to teach your child how to regulate their emotions through coping skills and how to adjust to changing situations. You can also teach them to respond to situations appropriately, such as overstimulation and confusion. Over time, with practice and consistency, teens can regulate their emotions effectively by themselves to better prepare them for their life as an adult in society. Emotional regulation skills ensure they can handle most situations effectively and communicate any issues to a trusted adults and parents or caregivers.

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Jemmy Prayogo