Teenager Social Skills with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Every person, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is different. So their problematic areas regarding social skills will be different, and treatment plans will therefore be individualized.

So you have to consider their strengths and weaknesses: What are they personally struggling with? Are they struggling with initiating conversations? Or can they do that quite well? If so, do they struggle to maintain the conversation? Is that the problem?

It’s important to understand exactly where they are struggling so that you know where to improve. Below are some areas of teenager social skills that teens with intellectual and developmental disabilities may find difficult:

1. Initiating conversations
2. Maintaining conversations
3. Sharing their opinion in a small group
4. Making friends
5. Understanding sarcasm
6. Respecting other’s personal space 
7. Navigating friendly meet-ups
8. Dealing with disrespectful/inappropriate treatment from others
9. Appropriate communication through texting
10. Social media related behaviors

They may struggle with one or they may find all of these difficult. Again, it really depends on the individual. Teenager social skills with intellectual and developmental disabilities can be a unique challenge but is capable of being overcome. ABA therapy,or Applied Behavioral Analysis, is a great way to analyze and improve the teenager social skills with intellectual and developmental disabilities. When one receives a diagnosis, the physician will recommend ABA therapy which is the gold standard, evidence-backed method of improving skills that may naturally lack due to a disability. Pursuing consistent therapy can greatly improve social skills through social skills training that target helping one master social behaviors.

You can start ABA Therapy in California with us below!