Brief report: parent-adolescent informant discrepancies of social skill importance and social skill engagement for higher-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.

The team asked higher-functioning teens with autism and their parents to rate the same two things. How important are social skills? How often does the teen use them?

They used a short survey. Each person filled it out alone. Then the researchers compared the two sets of answers.

Parents said social skills are very important. They also said their kids rarely use the skills.

The teens said the skills matter less. They also said they use the skills more than Mom or Dad thinks.

van Timmeren et al. (2016) asked the same questions one year later and got the same split. Parents and youth still disagreed on which skills matter most. The repeat study shows the gap is real, not a one-time fluke.

Bottema-Beutel et al. (2016) let teens talk in their own words. Kids said they hate "awkward" adult-run groups. They want peer-led clubs with shared activities. That fits the new data: if teens think the setting is fake, they will say the skills are "not important."

Tonnsen et al. (2016) looked at students with severe disabilities. Teachers and parents also gave low social-skill scores. The pattern is wider than autism alone; different eyes see different skills.

Before you write a social goal, ask the teen first. If the student does not value the skill, even the best lesson will stall. Use the disagreement as a teaching moment. Show the student how the skill helps them do something they already want, like gaming with peers or getting a job. When the teen buys in, parents and teachers see real use, not just polite head nods.