CAS Social Skills Development Competency 3

Question 1

A CAS specialist notices a student consistently uses a flat affect and avoids eye contact during peer conversations. The MOST appropriate first step is to:

Accepted Answer

Conduct a functional assessment to determine the context and function of the behavior

Answer

A functional assessment identifies the purpose and context of a behavior before intervention, ensuring that strategies address the actual underlying challenge rather than surface symptoms.

Question 2

Research consistently shows that social skills interventions for individuals with ASD are MOST effective when they include:

Accepted Answer

Skill instruction combined with structured opportunities to practice with peers

Answer

The combination of explicit skill instruction with supported, structured peer practice provides both the learning and the rehearsal necessary for meaningful social skill development.

Question 3

The term 'perspective-taking' in autism social skills training refers to the ability to:

Accepted Answer

Understand how another person might think, feel, or perceive a situation

Answer

Perspective-taking involves inferring and considering the mental and emotional states of others, a skill closely tied to Theory of Mind that is often a direct target in social skills curricula for ASD.

Question 4

Which of the following BEST describes a 'social script' as a teaching strategy (distinct from echolalic scripting)?

Accepted Answer

A pre-written conversational template taught to individuals with ASD to initiate or maintain interactions

Answer

Social scripts used as a teaching strategy are pre-planned phrases or conversational structures intentionally taught to individuals with ASD to help them initiate and navigate social exchanges.

Question 5

Which factor most threatens the long-term maintenance of newly acquired social skills in individuals with ASD?

Accepted Answer

Failure to embed practice in natural environments and routines

Answer

Without opportunities to use skills in natural, everyday contexts, social skills learned in structured settings tend to fade because they are not reinforced through real-life social outcomes.

(CAS) Certified Autism Specialist Practice Test

(CAS) Certified Autism Specialist Practice Test

CAS Social Skills Development Competency 3