"Social skill development is an essential curricular area for students with ASD, and a crucial component of any intervention plan for changing problem behaviours. In order to help students, it is necessary to carefully assess their social competencies to determine which social skills must be directly taught.  To develop social skills, students need to have the opportunity to participate and interact in a variety of natural environments where appropriate models, natural cues and stimuli, and functional reinforcers are available. Placement within integrated environments provides this access to peer models and social opportunities."