Translated from the Portuguese original. Read the original (Português)
Social Skills Training (SST) is the structured teaching of social competencies — such as starting a conversation, waiting your turn, reading social cues, and resolving conflicts. Instead of expecting a person to "figure it out on their own," SST breaks the skill down into steps, demonstrates it, trains it through rehearsal, and gives feedback — always respecting each person's way of being and helping them use what they learned in real life.
Social Skills Training (SST) is the structured and systematic teaching of interaction competencies — such as starting and keeping conversations going, waiting your turn, reading social cues (tone of voice, facial expression, context), and resolving conflicts. It relies on a step-by-step teaching sequence that allows social behavior to be taught with the same care given to teaching any other skill.
The core idea: skills can be taught
Many people treat "being sociable" as a fixed trait — you're either born with it or not. SST starts from a different premise: getting along with others is a set of skills, and skills can be taught and learned. Just as we learn to ride a bike or play an instrument — through instruction, practice, and correction — it is also possible to learn how to start a conversation, notice when someone wants to end it, or ask for help clearly.
That is why SST does not "fix" the person or force them into a single model of behavior. It expands the repertoire: it offers more response options so each person can choose how to relate to others, with less distress and more autonomy.
How it works: the training cycle
Classic SST follows a sequence of components that repeat and reinforce one another. Each step prepares the next, and the cycle starts over with increasingly complex skills.
The steps, one by one
Tap each card to see what happens at each step of the training.
Generalization is not a "bonus"There is no point in a skill working only in the training room. That is why generalization — using what was learned in real-life contexts — is an essential part of SST and needs to be planned from the start, with assignments, reminders, and opportunities to practice in daily life.
Who SST helps
SST is flexible and adapts to different ages and needs. It is commonly used, among other contexts, with people:
- on the autism spectrum (ASD), expanding their interaction repertoire while respecting each person's social style;
- with ADHD, helping with things like waiting their turn and regulating impulses in conversation;
- with social anxiety, reducing discomfort in social situations;
- and with other conditions where social interaction is an area of difficulty or distress.
Evidence-based programsThere are structured SST programs tested in research. One example is PEERS, aimed at adolescents and young adults, which organizes friendship and relationship training systematically and with family involvement.
Ethics: expanding the repertoire, not demanding a disguise
The contemporary view of SST is clear about its goal: expanding the repertoire and reducing distress, not molding the person into a single standard of "normalcy." That means respecting the autistic social style and the self-determination of the person in training.
Well-conducted SST offers skills and leaves the choice of using them up to the person. What it must not do is force camouflaging (so-called masking) — requiring someone to hide who they are, fake constant eye contact, or suppress legitimate forms of self-expression just to seem "more normal." That kind of pressure can increase exhaustion and distress, which is exactly the opposite of what the training is meant to do.
Myth to bust"Training social skills means teaching an autistic person to pretend to be non-autistic." No. The goal is to give more options for communication and social life, with autonomy — not to demand a disguise or erase anyone's identity.
Test your understanding
Quick quiz
Three questions to reinforce the concept. You'll see the explanation right away.
Further reading
- Gresham, F. M. Research on social skills training — assessment and intervention.
- Laugeson, E. A. et al. PEERS program — evidence-based social skills training for adolescents and young adults.
- Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. Applied Behavior Analysis. 3rd ed.
This entry is educational and does not replace assessment, diagnosis or treatment by a qualified health professional. Every person is unique — for a specific case, seek individual guidance.