Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2019

Keywords

social skills, autism, Down syndrome, Fragile X, intervention, cognitive impairments

Abstract

While communication may seem simple and inherent to many individuals while interacting with family, friends, or co-workers, communication may be more challenging for individuals with cognitive impairments. Whether the difficulty is related to expressive language, receptive language, semantics, pragmatics, etc., any deficits in these areas can create difficulty for individuals while socializing with others in their environment. Social skills intervention for individuals with cognitive impairments is imperative so that these individuals are able to communicate as effectively as possible in numerous settings with various communication partners. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may have difficulty with social skills in particular and benefit from this type of therapy. Additionally, individuals with Down Syndrome may also obtain valuable social skills through this therapy. Individuals who have many conditions with co-occurring cognitive impairments can benefit from social skills therapy. There are many important considerations involved in teaching social skills to these individuals, as well as various methods of teaching and presenting information which lead to effective learning. Overall, these individuals have the right to receive this specific therapy from speech-language pathologists to promote the best quality of life for the individual while increasing and maintaining social interaction.

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