For my write-up today on The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships, I'll quote something that Temple Grandin says on page 216:
"Even typical kids and adults have trouble these days understanding and interpreting their social culture and making sense of what's appropriate to do or say. Just check out the etiquette section of any large bookstore; there are tons of books out now written specifically for kids, adolescents and adults about good manners and social graces; some of them are really good. There are all sorts of Miss Manners-type websites, too. Fortune 500 companies have etiquette classes as part of grooming people for high-level management positions, because there are so many really intelligent young adults with really poor manners and social skills. The idea of 'appropriate' behavior is so context driven now, and the nuances of context are so much more complex, that it's no longer an easy part of life for anyone to figure out. It's a minefield for kids with ASD who, by their very nature, have difficulty with social context and think in rigid, black-and-white patterns."
This book was published in 2005. It seems to me, though, that I have been observing the sorts of things that Temple talks about over the past two years. Many times, when I have gone on Yahoo to check my e-mail, I have seen prominent articles about how to date, what to say on dates, how to meet people, what to say in job-interviews, etc. I often wish that there could be more articles out there on the basics----such as how to make and keep friends. But it does amaze me how many articles about social skills are out there----and are prominent.