| Generally all autistic individuals will have social | | | | situations and skills that need mastering or are |
| difficulties this is common to autism and due | | | | causing stresses, for example: A shopping trip; |
| mainly to social skills deficits which are always | | | | meeting new people; recess; school dinner; |
| present. | | | | assembly even a trip to the dentist. Any of these |
| For the vast majority of parents with an autistic | | | | situations can be dealt with using a simple autism |
| child, helping their autistic child to develop social | | | | social story. |
| skills is a primary focus. | | | | The autism social story can be used to help |
| Consequently, many treatments of autism have | | | | practice skills and behaviors, manage negative |
| been researched and developed to help parents | | | | behaviors, explain changes to routines and make |
| teach social skills to their ASD child. Teaching | | | | confusing or stressful events and situations |
| social skills to children with autism can lead to an | | | | understandable by allowing the child with autism a |
| increase in positive behaviors and self-confidence. | | | | chance to rehearse the skill or situation in |
| There is a variety of treatments of autism that | | | | advance. |
| may be suitable for your ASD child, your G.P. will | | | | Developing social skills in children with autism will |
| point you in the right direction and offer advice. | | | | need to be done directly using autism visual |
| For many parents and teachers of autistic children | | | | supports like social skills stories, because generally |
| strategies such as social skills stories help them in | | | | children with autism find social situations confusing |
| teaching and developing social skills in children with | | | | due to social skills deficits. Asocial story can make |
| autism. | | | | an otherwise confusing or stressful skill or |
| An autism social story is a short descriptive story | | | | situation more routine. |
| that acts like a role model of the situation or skill | | | | For a child with autism having a step by step |
| being developed or taught, which appears almost | | | | action plan in the form of a simple autism social |
| like a comic script or a step by step plan. | | | | story; that they can read and understand, that is |
| The goal of an autism social story is to focus on | | | | visually rich and easy to follow, can be a |
| the key points or social cues of the situation or | | | | tremendous benefit and reduce their fears and |
| skill. And by using first person text and visual | | | | sensitivities. |
| images build a plan of the skill or situation | | | | Reports suggest that using social skills stories for |
| answering the "wh" questions (who, where, why, | | | | developing social skills goals for children with |
| when and what) as well as giving an insight into | | | | autism is beneficial. Skills such as tooth brushing, |
| the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others. | | | | hygiene, asking questions and calming down can all |
| Social stories are used for a wide variety of | | | | be tackled using social stories as a strategy. |