Social Skills Training for Autistic Adolescents and Adults

Difficulties with social communication and interaction skills are a hallmark feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and challenges in this domain affect individuals across the autism spectrum and throughout the lifespan. Despite the pervasiveness of this impairment, social skills training programs are arguably understudied compared to other treatment approaches for ASD, with social skills intervention studies for adolescents and adults particularly scarce. This chapter will outline the characteristic social deficits common among autistic adolescents and adults, as well as provide an overview of evidence-based treatment delivery methods, empirically supported social skills programs for autistic adolescents and adults, and research methodology for studying social skills training. Limitations of existing social skills interventions for adolescents and adults on the autism spectrum are highlighted, and recommendations for future research are discussed.