The Social and Life Skills Menu: A Skill Building Workbook for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

During adolescence social development and social status among peers is of crucial importance. For teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) social interaction does not come naturally and often needs to be carefully learned. This workbook provides guided strategies to help those with ASD engage and connect with other people at home, school, work, social gatherings and in the community. Using a restaurant menu as a template, The Social and Life Skills Menu guides readers through each step of a conversation with starter statements to initiate conversation, main course topics to convey the purpose of the interaction, and treats that bring the exchange to a close. Packed with questionnaires, discussion logs and hypothetical social scenarios, this workbook encourages students to think through their responses and consider the consequences of what they say and how others might react. By practicing these easy techniques and completing a series of everyday social tasks, students can improve self-awareness, increase self-confidence and build on their daily life skills. This book will be a life-changing tool for all teenagers and young adults with social cognitive disorders, as well as their parents and the teachers and other professionals who work with them.