Ten Ways to Cultivate Friendships and Social Connections for Children with Autism

It’s not easy to make new friends when you’re an adult. While it can be a bit of a simpler process for kids in general (“I like stickers!” “Me too!”), it doesn’t flow as naturally for children with autism. Cultivating close friendships and building significant social connections can be particularly challenging for neurodivergent children. However, with the right strategies and support, there are ways to help them learn how to build meaningful relationships. Beyond the benefits or expanding their social circle, getting familiar with these necessary skills helps to enhance their social and emotional well-being. 

Here are ten useful ways to help children with autism Mississauga develop friendships and social connections.

1. Focus On Social Skills

You have to be really direct, and really literal with autistic kids. They think in black and white sometimes and it’s hard to inject components of subtlety and nuance. For this reason, children with autism often benefit from explicit instruction in their social skills. Just tell them directly what you want them to do. They won’t consider it rude. They appreciate the forthrightness. There are ways to teach them social graces in safe environments. Some examples are video modeling, role-playing, and social stories. These teaching aids can help educate a child on practical skills such as maintaining consistent eye contact, taking turns, and becoming better versed in non-verbal cues. You can boost confidence and competence in social interactions by practicing these skills in a safe and supportive environment

2. Book Play Dates

Get to know the other moms in the classroom. Find out who lives closest to you and start a rideshare program. When your rolodex is full of local moms in your area, it’s time to start executing a few plans. Organizing play dates with one or two peers in a familiar and controlled environment can provide a comfortable setting for socializing. Structured activities, sports, or games can help guide interactions and reduce your child’s anxiety. When targeting your moms, it’s important to choose peers who are understanding and patient, as this can create a more positive experience for your autistic child.

3. Seek Out Structured Social Opportunities

The nice thing about organized sports and teams and clubs, is that you get to take your hands off the wheel for an hour or two here and there, and just relax. There are coaches, team leaders, and other fluttering parents to answer questions and coordinate children for a little while, so you’re in the clear. These structured environments can provide a comfortable setting for children with autism to interact with peers. There are clear routines and published itineraries for many of these groups, which will alleviate a great deal of worry from a regimented child with autism. Organized activities, such as specialized social skills groups, group therapy sessions, and after-school clubs offer predictable routines and clear expectations, making social interactions a breeze. Your child will find them more manageable and less intimidating.

4. Keep Common Interests On Your Radar

If your child likes Lego, put him in LEGO clothes. Make it easy for other children to pick him out as one of them from all the way across the playground. If she likes dinosaurs, be on the hunt, for other kids with T-Rex shirts and Stegosaurus lunchboxes. Meet those moms right away, and come ready with some dinosaur facts to impress your child’s friend-to-be. Birds of a feather flock together, so be sure to identify and leverage a child’s interests early on (like on the first day of school). They can be a powerful way to foster connections. Whether it’s a love for Minecraft, trains, art, sports, or video games, finding peers who share similar interests can provide a natural foundation for building friendships. You can further facilitate bonding by participating in clubs, classes, or community groups centered around these interests throughout the region.

5. Make Use Of Visual Supports

Having a simple visual map that your child can follow when it comes to building friendships can make all the difference in the world. Sometimes just telling your child what to do doesn’t register, and you need to demonstrate in another type of step-by-step fashion. Pictographs, visual supports (such as social scripts), picture schedules, and visual prompts, all help in understanding social expectations and routines. These tools can help children with autism navigate social situations more effectively, reducing anxiety and enhancing their ability to engage with others.

6. Work With Peers To Foster Empathy and Understanding

Not all of their friends are going to ‘get’ autism right away. It might take a little bit of talking to these peers one-on-one, or walking them through some literature to enlighten them on the proper way to interact with a child with autism. Educating neurotypical peers about autism can help them develop empathy and understanding. Schools and community programs can provide information about autism in a way that promotes acceptance and inclusivity. It’s a win-win. Encouraging neurotypical children to be patient, kind, and supportive can create a more welcoming environment for children with autism, and it also makes the school a nicer place as well. 

7. Get The Whole Family Involved

It’s so much easier to meet girls if you grew up with a sister. Same goes for meeting people on sports teams if your brother plays ball. Same goes for the fringe types and the kids who fall into a certain clique. If you have a sibling to pave the way into this foreign world where your new friend is waiting, it makes life so much better. Siblings and family members can play a crucial role in social development. Encouraging positive interactions and play between siblings can provide practice for social skills in a safe and supportive setting. Family activities that include both the child with autism and their siblings can also promote bonding and social learning.

8. Embrace Technology and Online Platforms

Don’t shy away from an ipad or phone when it comes to its learning potential. Not all screen time in mindless. Technology can be a valuable tool for building social connections. Online platforms, games, and apps designed for social skills development can provide a low-pressure environment for practicing interactions. Virtual play dates or social groups can also connect children with autism to peers beyond their immediate geographic area.

9. Actively Encourage Team Activities

Get out there and just try a whole lot of things. Why not run for student council? Never played football? Maybe this is your year. Join a debate team. Take up fencing. There are so many diverse and unique things to try. Even the most pessimistic wet towel will find that with all these activities—eventually—something’s going to stick.Team activities, such as sports, drama clubs, or music groups, can promote cooperation, communication, and teamwork. These activities provide a structured and goal-oriented context for social interactions, helping children with autism learn to work with others and form friendships.

10. Get Help From Professionals

At Monarch House we offer you a solid selection of professionals to work with, from counsellors, to psychologists, to occupational therapists, to speech pathologists. Everyone is here to help you. Professional support from therapists, social workers, and educators can be instrumental in developing social skills and building friendships. Social skills training, speech therapy, and occupational therapy can provide targeted interventions to address specific social challenges. Collaboration between professionals, parents, and teachers can create a comprehensive support network for the child.

Everyone needs friends. Our little amigos from when we were kids helped to shape us into the people we are today. Children with autism need not be left out of the loop. Building friendships and social connections is essential for the emotional and social development of children with autism. By creating structured social opportunities, focusing on common interests, teaching social skills explicitly, and involving family and peers, we can help children with autism develop meaningful relationships. With patience, understanding, and the right strategies, children with autism can experience the joy and benefits of friendship and social connection.