Social skills don’t stop being important when childhood ends. In this episode of the ABA MOM Podcast, Allie Langan, BCBA, talks about how we can adapt social-skills teaching to better support teenagers and adults in ways that are practical, age-appropriate, and meaningful to their everyday lives.

We explore what social skills can look like beyond traditional childhood goals—including navigating conversations, building friendships, handling disagreements, participating in group activities, advocating for yourself, and developing greater independence in the community.

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ Modifying social activities so they are age-appropriate ✨ Moving beyond traditional “play skills” for teens and adults ✨ Conversation and cooperative communication skills ✨ Waiting, turn-taking, and flexibility ✨ Self-advocacy and communicating wants and needs ✨ Practicing social skills during real-life activities ✨ Community participation and independence ✨ Choosing goals that are meaningful to the individual ✨ Using interests and preferred activities to make social learning more natural

The goal isn’t to make someone appear more “typical.” It’s to help individuals develop communication, self-advocacy, relationships, and independence in ways that improve their quality of life.

Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, RBT, BCBA, educator, or support professional, this episode offers practical ideas you can use when supporting teens and adults.

💬 Join the conversation: What social or independence skill do you think is most important for teens and adults to learn?

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