Social Development in Autism

Social dysfunction is a hallmark, if not the hallmark, of autism. In typical development, infants develop immediate social relationships with caregivers, starting with basic skills such as eye gaze and social smiling. In autism, basic social behaviors (specifically eye gaze, imitation, and joint attention) are impaired. However, results from across studies indicate that many individuals with autism can learn these social skills in response to appropriate interventions. Further research is needed to explain the social behaviors for an individual and ways to facilitate growth. Keywords: autism; eye gaze; imitation; intervention; joint attention; social development; social dysfunction