Bridging the gap: Social interaction in youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show difficulties in social interaction and communication. This thesis explored the desire for social interaction in youth with ASD. The results were mixed. A potential explanation for these mixed results is that the desire for social interaction in ASD might be context-related. Additionally, other variables like social skills and social anxiety might play a role. The desire for social interaction in children and adolescents with ASD deserves more attention at a scientific level, but also on the individual level. In clinical practise social skills training is often applied for children with ASD. This thesis investigated the effectiveness of this kind of intervention for children with ASD. The results showed that participation in group social skills training improved the social skills and this generalized to the home and school setting.