How can I help my child with autism have better relationships?

Watch as licensed psychologist and autism specialist Dr. Ronald Leaf discusses how parents can help their child with autism to have better relationships.

Transcript

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[MUSIC PLAYING] It's understanding that children with autism, although they may have a social deficit, there's a tremendous need for them to become social.

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We help our children with autism have better relationships by making an emphasis on treatment, once again.

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It's a matter of it being a priority. It's understanding that children with autism, although they may have a social deficit,

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there's a tremendous need for them to become social. There's a tremendous need for them to have meaningful friendships.

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And it can absolutely happen, as long as it becomes an emphasis of our treatment. It's not-- it's putting away the myths that children with autism

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are antisocial, that they aren't interested in social relationships. We find it quite the contrary.

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They're incredibly interested in it. They just don't have the skill areas. And they're not receiving the right kind of education

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and the right kind of treatment to promote that. It's a matter of looking at children with autism and identifying, what are the areas they

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need to improve upon that will lead to meaningful friendships? The tragedy of autism is too many children with autism--

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adolescents and adults-- don't have meaningful friendships because it hasn't been an emphasis. And we've looked at other areas to treat.

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This is the area we have to treat primarily. Autism is a social communication disorder, when we look at it.

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And it's a matter of emphasis. It's a matter of treatment. It's a matter of understanding that our ultimate goal is social connections because it's a quality of life issue.