In high school, I had the opportunity to play a game of chess with a prodigy. He was around five- or six- years old (maybe a bit younger or older), and was an extraordinary player. He won the game easily. After the game, we had a long discussion where he was able to explain very advanced technical aspects of the game. Later, his dad came by, and he immediately jumped into conversations about little kid things like going to the park to play and watching cartoons. A few months later, I saw him on public television giving his thoughts on the live broadcast of the Chess World Championships.
This was long before I had ever heard of ABA, but I remember thinking how incredible it was that this child’s incredible knowledge of the game allowed him to engage on a deep level much beyond his current age, yet he still had “little kid” interests, too. He probably had typical social skills for a child his age (or at least one who was a chess prodigy). But he could engage with adults for long periods of time, and hold their interest in a meaningful way, because of the chess skills that he had developed.
I believe for many children with autism, this is our best shot to developing meaningful conversations and friendships. Although typical social skills programs can be very helpful, they often do not lead to friendships. It is hard because the process of developing a deep interest will likely not lead to immediate benefits, but in the long run, the procedure seems promising.