Typology of Social Skills and Their Impairments in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

The growing number of children with autism spectrum disorders determines the need for correctional and developmental work with this category of children, including the improvement of social skills. The purpose of the study is to review the main approaches to determining the types of social skills and their impairments in children with autism, and its task is to identify criteria for distinguishing the types of social skills and categories of difficulties associated with their development by children with autism. To achieve this goal, a desk study was conducted using general scientific methods of data analysis, generalisation, and comparison. The influence of social skills disorders on the functioning of children with autism spectrum disorders in society, their social and mental well-being is analysed. Various approaches to identifying types of social skills are presented, depending on the classification criteria, such as the internal complexity of the skill, the order and scope of its application. The study describes the causes of difficulties in mastering social skills by children with autism. The nature and content of difficulties that may arise during acquisition and the impact of underdevelopment or insufficient level of proficiency in one group of skills on others are revealed. The need to implement a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to the development of social skills is highlighted. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that its results can be used in planning, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions in the development of social skills in children with autism.