What should I look for in a social skills group for an autistic kid who wants friends but gets overwhelmed in groups?
My 9 year old is autistic and really wants friends, but loud groups can be too much. I’m looking at social skills groups, and I don’t want one that just teaches him to act less autistic. What questions should I ask before we try one?
Ask about sensory breaks. Where are they, can the child ask before meltdown, and is it treated like a normal support or a punishment.
I would ask about goals. If they say eye contact and sitting still, I would be careful. If they say joining play, self advocacy, repairing conflict, that sounds better.
Small group size mattered for us. Four kids was useful. Ten kids in a noisy room was a mess.
Interest based groups are better for my son. LEGO or art with social coaching felt more natural than sitting in a circle talking about friendship.
Ask what feedback parents get. We got little notes like practiced asking a related question to join a game, and that helped at the playground.
The group should respect neurodiversity. Kids can learn social tools without being told their natural communication is wrong.
Let your kid visit once if possible. A program can look perfect to adults and still feel awful to the child.