Creating More Opportunities for Interaction with Children on the
Autism Spectrum

On this page, you'll find links to printable information and tips to help you create opportunities for children on the autism spectrum to interact. Whether you’re a parent or a professional, these resources can help you lay the foundation for the kinds of enjoyable interactions that help children connect, have fun, and learn new social skills.

Encouraging Joint Engagement

Joint engagement happens when you and a child are paying attention to the same object or event during a back and forth interaction. By encouraging joint engagement, you can create more opportunities for the child to interact because it helps them pay more attention to the things you say and do.

Making the Most of Sensory Needs

Children on the autism spectrum often have sensory needs or preferences that can affect their ability to focus and interact with other people. But if you recognize and make the most of their sensory needs, you can create situations that make it easier (and more fun!) for them to learn new things.

Playing People Games

One of the best ways to encourage children on the autism spectrum to interact and have fun with you is to play people games. These simple, repetitive routines make interaction easier because there are no toys, just people.

More tips to encourage interaction
The tips in these videos and handouts are drawn from Hanen’s research-based resources for supporting the social communication development of young children on the autism spectrum.

Browse autism resources