"What I did that was helpful was "The Zone," the last hour of group marked out as free time for us fellow autistic kids to talk, play Magic: The Gathering, or do whatever. For 60 minutes, I got to meet other people like me."
""Traditional social skills groups tend to focus on teaching and practicing neurotypical social norms. Suppressing stims, forcing eye contact, focusing on body language, it can feel very performative, so you lose the opportunity to have a genuine connection.""
"Unlike a social skills group, social connection groups focus on relating."
An autistic person's experience contrasts rule-based social skills training with the nuanced demands of real-world interaction. A dedicated free period called "The Zone" provided unstructured peer time to play games and build community for autistic participants. Social connection groups prioritize relating, shared hobbies, and members' experiences rather than enforcing neurotypical norms or performative behaviors. Facilitators adopt neurodiversity-affirming practices that avoid suppressing stims or forcing eye contact. Memorizing rules can help in controlled settings, but real-world interaction needs nuance and mutual understanding. Tools like therapeutic tabletop role-playing games may be used to support connection and engagement.
Read at Psychology Today
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