Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Some of the earliest evidence of social interest in others is the typical newborn’s preference for the human voice over other sounds (DeCasper & Fifer, 1980). Long before infants begin to speak, they communicate their needs, wants, and interests with others through a combination of vocalizations, facial expressions and various non-verbal gestures.


While typically developing children are attentive to others and show social behaviors at a very early age, individuals with autism often exhibit difficulty engaging in social interactions throughout their lifetime.


Many consider social interaction deficits to be the core deficit of autism (Mundy, Sigman & Kasari, 1994; Kanner, 1943; Travis & Sigman, 1998). Some suggest that the presence of deficits in reciprocal social behavior distinguishes autism from other psychiatric disorders (Constantino & Todd, 2003).

As listed in the diagnostic criteria, impairments in social interaction associated with autism include:

1. deficits in nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, and gestures to regulate social interaction,
2. failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level,
3. lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment and interests (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest), and
4. lack of social or emotional reciprocity (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).


Social deficits observed in children with autism may include:

• Difficulties understanding the facial expressions of others
• Difficulties with or complete lack of initiating social interactions with others

• Lack of responding to social initiations made by others (Hauck, Fein, Waterhouse, & Feinstein, 1995)

• Lack of responding to the emotions of others (Sigman, Kasari, Kwon, & Yirmiya, 1992).

• Deficits in showing (directing attention) (Stone, Coonrod, & Ousley, 2000)

• Lack of interest in other children

• Absence of or limited use of gestures such as pointing to share enjoyment with others

• Absence of or limited imitiation skills

• Lack of friendship seeking behavior


Research has also shown that the social interactions of individuals with autism are significantly different from those with other developmental disabilities (e.g., Down syndrome). Individuals with autism have been found to be less likely than those with other developmental disabilities to orient to social stimuli, to respond to the social bids of others, and to initiate social interactions with others (same aged peers and adults) (Dawson, Meltzoff, Osterling, Rinaldi & Brown, 1998; Sigman & Ruskin, 1999; Hauck, Fein, Waterhouse & Feinstien, 1995; Jackson, Fein, Wolf, Jones, Hauck, Waterhouse, Feinstein, 2003).