Research
Self-perception might matter more than observable social skills for autistic teens’ well-being
PsyPost · By Karina Petrova ·
The Brief
- A study links autistic teenagers' self-perceived social competence and lower social anxiety to better reported quality of life.
- The association held regardless of how well teens performed observable social skills.
- The findings question intervention approaches that focus mainly on teaching specific social behaviours.
Why it matters
For science readers, the study suggests that measuring how autistic teens see their own social abilities may matter more for well-being than observed skill scores, which could shape how outcome measures and support programmes are designed.
Who’s affected
- Researchers and clinicians working with autistic adolescents
- Families and educators supporting autistic teens
- #autism
- #adolescents
- #well-being
- #social anxiety
- #self-perception
Autistic teenagers who feel socially capable and experience less social anxiety report a better quality of life, regardless of how well they perform observable social skills. These findings challenge traditional interventions that focus on teaching specific social behaviors…
Timeline
PsyPost reports the study findings on autistic teenagers' self-perception and well-being
PsyPost – Psychology News
Self-perception might matter more than observable social skills for autistic teens’ well-being