The Amazing Results Are In on Virtual Social Learning

Take a walk down the hall of any typical middle or high school, and you will see the dynamic complexity of social interaction. Peers gather around lockers and classrooms looking to connect between classes. Conversations start about after-school activities, popular video games, and yes—relationships. Students feel a sense of inclusion, community, and social support as their brains produce little doses of dopamine that serve as a reward for being social, motivating kids to continue engaging socially. For Aiden, a teenager who is trying to discover his social self, the story is a little different: “I don’t really put effort into making and keeping friends…but I do want to know how to show others that I am interested in getting to know them.” Like many other young people with high-functioning Asperger’s syndrome, being social doesn’t feel natural for Aiden. Being part of a group takes quite a lot of skill and savvy. During one particularly difficult year in a traditional public school, Aiden’s parents noticed he began struggling academically, isolating himself, feeling less confident, and he was bullied. They elected to move Aiden to a private school that specializes in students on the autism spectrum with the goal to return to public high school in the future, once he had the skills and tools to be successful. “Many of the kids who go here say that they had really bad middle school years too, but I plan on going back to public high school when I can,” Aiden shared. “First, I need to understand what the teachers and other kids are thinking and feeling, so I know what to do.” Aiden’s parents didn’t stop there. They sought extra-curricular activities to help him develop his social skills. They tried social skill groups and acting classes for teens on the spectrum, but […]

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