Students with high-functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome exhibit deficits in their ability to utilize appropriate social skills across a variety of contexts; however, standardized tests are typically not sensitive to the significance of these deficits. Social skills are a behavioral manifestation of social cognition. A framework will be introduced to summarize areas of social cognition that are generally weak and impacts students' ability to relate to others. A five-step approach to assessment will be reviewed to provide information regarding the origin and nature of students' social cognition and related skills. Finally, informal assessment tools will be defined and described.
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