Frequently Needed Answers

Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder, which is generally diagnosed before the child
reaches their third birthday.

What are the behaviour characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder…The main characteristics
of autism spectrum disorder are the individual’s deficits in social,
communication both verbal and non-verbal as well as imagination skills.

If you are the parent or teacher of a child on the autism spectrum and are looking for
methods and treatments for autism then read on…

There is “no cure for autism” but there are some very good methods and treatments for autism
which can have a massive impact on your child’s life and help them reach
his/her full potential, as well as deal with their social, communication and
imagination skills deficits.

Some of the treatments for autism available include:

ABA

PECS’s
communication boards

Social Skills Stories

Visual support cards

For the purpose of this article we will be looking at social skills stories and visual support cards.

What are social skills stories?

So what are social skills stories – Quite often you will come across various names for
social skills stories like: autism social stories, social stories and so on,
but whatever you call them they are all relatively similar.

A social skills story will normally follow a formula first defined about twenty years
ago by therapist Carol Gray, to help her communicate with the autistic children
she was caring for. The formula consists of four sentence types

Descriptive

Directive

Perspective

Control

Social skills stories are used to help teach autistic children and adults to overcome
any social skills deficits.

Typically all individuals with an ASD will have deficits in social, communication and
imagination skills, this is a common symptom of autism.

For example a child on the spectrum may have difficulties with following social rules such
as sharing, taking turns, making friends, respecting personal space, having a
conversation, asking questions and so on. Using a social skills story will help
the child on the autism spectrum overcome their difficulties

A parent or teacher of a child on the spectrum can easily implement social stories to help
their child cope with even everyday life skills like using the bathroom and recess;
in-fact social stories have many uses.

What do social stories look like?

A social story is generally written in first person text, using appropriate language and
always from the autistic person’s point of view.

Typically autism social stories are visual.

Generally children with autism tend to be visual thinkers and learners, meaning they think in
pictures. Therefore it is beneficial to use visual intervention strategies such
as social stories.

Using images and text the social skills story acts as a role model or visual step by step plan
describing the situation or skill in terms of relevant social cues. Answering
the ever important “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as “HOW”
and giving an insight in to the thoughts and feelings of others which is a
marked area of weakness in most children with autism.

Example of autism social story

Emily has difficulties with sharing and will display inappropriate behaviours and
tantrums.

So looking at an example of autism social story for Emily; Emily’s main problem is
tantrums when she does not get her own way…

Therefore we would start a story for Emily giving focus to the key points…

Line one: My name is Emily I am six years of age; (This is a descriptive sentence, it is
describing who the story is about in this case Emily).

A small image maybe added here or an actual photo showing Emily.

Line two: Every day I like to play with the toys in the classroom; (This is also descriptive,
it describes what Emily likes to do, in this case playing with the toys in the
classroom).

Again another image or small photo of Emily is added. The image or photo could be of Emily in
the classroom playing with the toys etc.

And this is how the story is built up; the next two sentences would be perspective
sentences.

Again with appropriate images or pictures, and slowly the story starts to take shape.

There is no need for any formal teaching to use social stories.

All autism social stories should be editable, we all use different terminology and no two
children are the same. Therefore it is really important that parents and
teachers are able to edit the social story to make it relevant to their own
child on the spectrum.

You can learn more about social stories and how they are used, as well as get downloads
of social skills stories visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Visual support cards

Another great autism resource is visual support cards. Similar to social stories the
visual support cards can help support social and communication deficits.

For example many children on the spectrum have difficulties with both verbal and non-verbal
communication, and many children on the spectrum will never develop speech.

The visual support card is used as a means of communication. Children with autism spectrum
have difficulties with communication and can become distressed and confused relatively
quickly. It is important to remember with children on the spectrum to speak
less and use other means of communication like visual intervention strategies
such as visual support cards.

A child with an ASD can use the visual support card to help them understand what is expected
of them as well as what they are expecting of others.

For example

Teachers can use visual support cards on the student’s visual timetable, choices board even
around the classroom to label areas and objects like the toilet, pencil tray,
computers and so on helping the child with an ASD quickly identify what is
required, reducing anxiety and stress.

To learn more about visual support cards and see some examples visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com/visual_aids

For other methods and treatments for autism like autism social stories which can have a massive
impact on the lives of children with autism spectrum and help them reach his/her full potential visit: http://www.autismsocialstories

Research into ASD suggests that the definitions of the characteristics of autism spectrum disorder: are the individual’s inability to socialize and communicate effectively.  A child with ASD will have the inability to interact or communicate socially.

The typical definition of the characteristics of autism spectrum disorder, are commonly known as the social skills deficits these include:

* Uncoordinated motor movements and clumsiness.

* Poor posture

* Social impairments

* Limited interests and sometimes unusual preoccupations

* The need for repetition and ritualistic obsessions, like lining up possessions, collecting timetables and so on…

* Inability to communicate effectively lack of ability to understand wit, humour, puns and slang words

* Inability to read body language or facial expression, lack of eye contact

* Inappropriate behaviours

* Speech and language deficits - odd use of language and sometimes language can be delayed.

* Appearing to lack the ability to understand others feelings and emotions; one sided friendships; there way or no way!

Autism spectrum disorder is probably the most common childhood disorder today.  There is no cure for autism it is a life long disorder.

However, although there is no cure for autism there are efficient treatments for autism that can help the symptoms of autism, the characteristics.

Generally an individual with autism spectrum disorder will have quite good rote memory, and may also display an intense interest in a certain topic to the exclusion of anything else.

These interests can sometimes be with the strangest of things; for example a bus timetable, a clock even some marbles etc.

Research shows us that treatments for autism like social skills stories, PECS and flash cards are an effective means of teaching and addressing the social skills deficits associated with this disorder.

Probably the biggest hurdle faced by an individual with autism spectrum disorder is a lack of social awareness and deficits in social skills and communications.

For individuals with ASD learning social and communication skills is not going to happen naturally as it would for a typically developing individual therefore individuals with ASD need direct teaching of social and communication skills.

Autism social skills stories ARE excellent resources, designed to help the child with ASD understand and deal with situations and activities that the rest of us take for granted like tooth brushing or catching a train or bus.

Autism social skills stories are like a role model or a blueprint to independent life and those things we take for granted like - shopping trips or flushing toilets.

An individual with autism spectrum disorder may be confused by certain situations and struggle to understand things like friendships, being a good sport and so on.

These are areas that autism social skills stories can help, by providing the child with ASD with clear precise information and instruction in a visual format through text and visual images like a comic script depicting the skill or situation.

Used for a variety of situations and skills that the individual with autism is finding confusing or that may be making them anxious or aggressive. The social story can be edited to personalize it and printed for convenience and use anywhere.

To learn more about how a social story could benefit your autistic child or young person visit:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com

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Alternatively other autism social skills stories for your autistic child or teen can be found at:

www.autismsocialstories.com/asperger_adolescents

www.autismsocialstories.com/autistic_teens

www.autismsocialstories.com/school

www.autismsocialstories.com/potty

www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

www.autismsocialstories.com/howto

www.autismsocialstories.com/hygiene

www.autismsocialstories.com/behavior

For flash cards visit:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/visual_aids

Autism spectrum disorder is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life.

Autism spectrum disorder affects the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Making life difficult for children with autism and finding friends.

Children with autism display deficits in verbal and non-verbal communication, social, imagination and interaction skills and behaviors.  Typically children with autism spectrum disorder find it difficult to communicate with others and relate to the outside world and will often be described as being in a “world of their own”  In some children with autism spectrum disorder, aggressive and sometimes self-injurious behavior may also be present.

The symptoms and characteristics of autism may present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, ranging from mild as with aspergers to severe or low functioning autism.

Although the symptoms and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder are generally recognized by a certain set of behaviors, children with autism will exhibit various combinations of these behaviors dependant on the degree or severity of their diagnosis.  

Consequently, no two children regardless of diagnosis will ever be the same and may act very differently from one another and display varying skills and behaviors. This complex set of symptoms and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder make finding and maintaining friendships difficult.

Generally all autistic children will be visual learners and will gain a better grasp of learning life skills like making friends easier when the skills is taught using visual supports for autism such as social stories for autism.

Many parents realize that using visual supports for autism can impact on a better grasp of our world and how to interact affectively, giving the autistic child a better chance of social acceptance and less chance of social mistakes and blunders.

Developed almost twenty years ago to teach social, communication, imagination and interaction skills to autistic people the social skills story has evolved, and is reported as one of the most significant resources used today, to teach, and enforce, important life and living skills and behaviors to autistic people.

Sites offering information on how to use the social skills story to teach vital social, communication, imagination and interaction skills to those with autism can be found readily, one such site offering explanation and downloads of social stories like children with autism and finding friends is:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com These social stories for autism are written by an expert in autistic behaviors and can be downloaded immediately.

Other internet site’s offering downloads of social stories for autism are:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school_resources