Frequently Needed Answers

Many children with autism are visual thinkers and learners, which means they can process and understand information better when it is presented visually, for example in pictures and images rather than orally or in written format.

Therefore, it is advisable that when trying to give information to a child with autism, it is normally better to avoid long verbal sentences. And to support any verbal instructions wherever possible using visual supports aids.

By using visual supports aids for autism such as visual support cards, social stories and visual timetables, the child with autism can better understand what is expected of them, or what information the other person is attempting to express.

Using visual supports aids for autism, for example social stories; has been proven to benefit many children and young people with autism. Social Stories are a tool for teaching social skills to children with autism and related disabilities.

A social story is much like a step by step visual plan, similar to a comic strip script.

The social story provides the autistic individual with accurate information about any situation, skill or behaviour they may be finding difficult, stressful or confusing.

A social story will break the situation, skill or behaviour down into small easier to understand pieces, and give key focus to the main points. Social stories attempt to answer the “wh” questions (who, where, when, why and what) as well as attempt to give the autistic individual an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others.

By giving the autistic individual possible reactions they may get from others as well as how others will expect them to act and why. The goal of the social story is to increase the individual’s understanding of, make him more comfortable in, and possibly suggest some appropriate responses for the situation, skill or behaviour.

By using visual support aids for Autism parents, care givers, teachers and other professionals agree that teaching and improving social and communications skills is made easier and less confusing for children with autism.

To learn more about social stories for children with autism visit:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Alternatively other sites offering downloads of social stories for children with autism can be found at:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school_resources

Social stories are simple visual scripts / stories similar to a comic strip conversation, that describe in no frill details using appropriate first person text, social events and situations that are difficult for a child with autism to understand.

For example some children with autism do not understand the social behaviour expected at a birthday party or indeed the how, why where and what of the situation.

Therefore some parents of children with autism choose to help their child cope with and understand the birthday party by using visual supports such as an autism birthday party social story.

The autism birthday party social story is written to help the child understand what is expected of him or how he is suppose to behave at the birthday party.

A simple social story can be used to help a child with ASD cope with many situations, activities and events that they may struggle to master or understand, for example making friends, sharing, taking turns and so on.

Generally children with autism lack social and communication skills, this is due to their social skills deficits that are common with autism and other related conditions. Research suggest that generally children with autism are visual thinkers and learners which makes visual supports such as social stories ideal for teaching social and communication skills to a child with ASD.

First developed around twenty years ago social stories are a significant tool used to help teach social and communication skills and behaviours to children with ASD and related conditions with great success rates. A simple social story can be used as a visual plan showing the skill or behaviour in a manner the child with ASD will understand much like looking at a comic strip with visual images and text detailing the skill or behaviour following a specific formula first developed by therapist Carol Gray.

Parents, teachers, care givers and other professionals can now download simple effective social stories from sites such as http://www.autismsocialstories.com that are easy to implement and use.

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Other sites offering social stories to children with ASD and related conditions that cover a wide range of skills and situations can be found at any of the following:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

http://www.autismsocialstories.com

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Chances are a child with autism in mainstream education will not require special education, which means they are unlikely to have obvious learning disabilities. But that said they will still have special needs.

The first thing as a teacher you should do is to speak to other members of staff including SENCO in your school. Make sure that everyone understands what autism is and that they are aware of how this will affect the child’s behavior. You should also make the other children in the class aware of their new class mate’s condition and explain that this may affect how the new member of class will act.

Probably one of the most significant issues you will need to address is to prepare all autism classroom accommodations before the child with autism begins school.

Generally a good start with addressing autism classroom accommodations is to prepare the class for the new student by adding visual prompts or cues, to areas of the classroom for example the coat pegs, toilet, art area etc. Ask the parents for a meeting and try to identify the autistic child’s strengths and weaknesses. You can build on the strengths and encourage these.

For many children with autism will prefer their own company, however older children and teens may feel left out or lonely. Sometimes it can be helpful to structure break times to avoid any problems. Sometimes it may be necessary to appoint a buddy system for the student with autism to help them cope with break times and recess.

Many parents will already be using visual aids for autism with their child before they begin school it is a good idea to carry on with these within the classroom also. Generally most children with autism will be visual learners and will respond well to visual aids for autism, such as visual timetables, PECS and social stories. These will all help avoid many of the problems in the classroom for autistic children.

Try using visual aids for autism when teaching a subject that requires abstract thinking. You could maybe use photographs or pictures to help keep the autistic child’s attention. Even at secondary school, it is still possible to use visual aids for example illustrations or diagrams could be added to worksheets.

Visual timetables are used to help overcome problems in the classroom for autistic children with routine and any change to the routine. The autistic child can quickly recognize what is happening as has a visual cue for the various different times of the day, like break times, recess, P.E lessons, home time etc.

You may want to include time for the bathroom as this is a confusing time for most children with autism.

Many teachers find using autism social stories a significant advantage, as a tool for helping the autistic child keep on task and understand what is expected of them throughout the day and what they should expect from other’s.

Autism social stories are used with great affect in classrooms for all times of the day and all activities they are also invaluable for explaining classroom rules, personal space, assembly, recess and so on which are all areas many students with autism struggle to understand and cope with.

Developed to help teach social and communication skills to children with autism social stories are written in first person tense with visual images setting out a step by step visual plan that the autistic child can relate to and follow. By simply showing the autistic child the what, where, when and how for all areas and skills that they may struggle with. They are also used effectively for changes to routines, sport’s day and so on showing the autistic child what they can expect, and what others will expect from them.

Reports suggest autism social stories should be included in all autism classroom accommodations, experts agree students with autism DO benefit from the use of autism social stories within their daily routines and at home.

To download social stories for students with autism visit:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school

Alternatively social stories for students with autism can also be downloaded from http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school_resources

Other autism social stories can be downloaded from

http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Autism spectrum disorder is a pervasive developmental disorder affecting the individual’s brain.

One of the significant issues reported by parents of children with autism spectrum disorder is their child’s communication, social, imagination and interaction skills deficits.

These deficits are often referred to the triad of autistic impairments.

This triad of autistic impairments is present in every autistic individual. However the severity of social skills deficits will differ between each autistic individual.

The communication problems of autism vary depending upon the intellectual and social development of the autistic individual.

Many parents of children with autism spectrum disorder report delayed speech in their child and in some cases language may never develop. However recent figures show only 9% of autistic individuals will not develop language, with some having rich vocabularies and are able to talk about topics of interest in great depth.

Almost all children with autism spectrum disorder will have difficulty effectively using communication skills and language. Many children with autism spectrum disorder also display deficits with word and sentence meanings, intonations, and rhythms.

Many autistic children often say things that have no content or information with some autistic children using echolalia, a repetition of something previously heard, for example from a TV program, cartoon or other auditory means.

Many autistic children will use immediate echolalia for example they may repeat a question, “Do you want something to drink?” instead of replying with a “yes” or “no.”

Delayed echolalia, is when a child will say, “Do you want something to drink?” whenever he or she is asking for a drink.

Generally children with autism do not make eye contact and have low attention spans.

Many children with autism are unable to use gestures as a means of communication, for example sign language, or to assist verbal communication, such as pointing to an object they want. These are probably some of the more significant communication problems of autism.

Therefore communication goals for children with autism spectrum disorder will vary dependant on individual needs.

For most autistic children deficits in communication both verbal and non-verbal can be helped through autistic visual supports. A significant number of parents report benefits and progress with communication goals for children with autism spectrum disorder using autistic visual supports such as autism social skills stories.

Generally children with autism spectrum disorder are visual learners and find benefits using visual supports for autism such as social skills stories beneficial helping them find coping methods for their individual communication problems.

Social stories for communication deficits in autism are generally written by experts in autistic behaviors and development. Social stories are always written in the first person using appropriate language and from the autistic child’s point of view, normally visually rich they describe the skill or communication goals for children with autism, giving clear focus to the main points and social cues.

Social skills stories are one of the major tools used as visual supports for autism and are now available for immediate downloads form sites such as:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

Many parents and teachers use social skills stories to teach communication skills such as asking questions, holding a conversation and learning how to greet other people.

To help develop and reach appropriate communication goals for children with autism spectrum disorder download and begin using social skills stories immediately.

To learn more about social skills stories and gain access to immediate downloads visit any of the following sites:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school_resources

For children with autism communication both verbal and non-verbal is an area of difficulty.

A typically developing child will naturally learn communication skills from their environment, family, parents and peers, by watching and picking up on social cues and interactions.

However this natural skill for picking up and learning social and communication skills is missing in children with autism. Generally autistic children live in a literal world and are not interested in people watching or picking up social etiquettes and cues.

Most autistic children will have difficulties with the use of language and will not understand expressive language, wit, humor, sarcasm and so on. They will have difficulties with intonation, rhythm, word and sentence meanings.

It is universally believed that teaching communication skills to autistic children needs to be done directly through the use of visual supports. This is a tried, tested and proven method used by parents, teachers and professionals and is significantly successful.

Experts agree the use of visual supports in autism is an important part of teaching communication skills to autistic children. Since their introduction almost twenty years ago autistic social stories have become a major tool in teaching these skills.

Social stories were first developed twenty years ago by therapist Gray as a means of teaching communication to the autistic children she worked with. They have since evolved dramatically into the visual supports in autism used today.

Following a specific formula social stories are short visual descriptions of a certain task or skill written following a set pattern using four main sentence types to describe in detail, giving clear focus to the main points of the skill or behavior the social cues.

Widely used as a tool for aiding communication difficulties with autism social stories are used affectively by parents, teachers and other professionals to help overcome the many issues arising from issues surrounding the complex communication difficulties with autism.

However even though experts in autism agree social stories have a significant role to play in teaching communication skills to autistic children it is still for many parents a struggle to gain access to this valuable tool.

Many parents and teachers now use sites such as http://www.autismsocialstories.com to source appropriately written autistic social stories.

Other sires use by parents and teachers providing expertly written autistic social stories tackling the communication difficulties with autism can be found at:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/christmas

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

Autism is a developmental disorder affecting the autistic person’s brain.  

The symptoms of autism are:

Deficits in communication

Social deficits

Imagination and interaction deficits

Specialists in research autism suggest autism is a lifelong disability affecting children detectable from birth or early childhood. While there is no cure for autism, and researchers are unsure of its cause, a variety of therapies and resources are available to help children with autism and their families.

Autism affects more boys than girls with research in the US suggesting 1 in every 150 school aged children being affected.

Research autism also shows - That approximately one-third of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder appear to be developing normally up until the first year or two of their lives.

They then begin to regress in the way that they speak and socialize.

The symptoms of autism present may be:

• They prefer to play solitarily
• Ignoring or not interested in other children who are playing alongside them
• Preferring to categorize object not play with them; for example sorting into color or lining up.
• Difficulties with eye contact
• Lack of interest in their environment

Although children with autism will be affected in different ways, there is triad of disabilities that will be present.

• Difficulties with communication
• Difficulties with social interaction
• Difficulties with imagination.

Some children with autism will display more of one the symptoms of autism, while others may be affected more strongly by a different symptom.

Although autistic children are affected in different ways, in all cases their capacity to communicate and interact with others is impaired.

Research has shown there isn’t one specific cause of autism spectrum disorder. Research autism has focused on whether chemical imbalances, differences in the brain, genetics, or problems with the immune system have played a significant role in causing autism spectrum disorder.

Children with autism spectrum disorder can be helped with social, communication, imagination and interaction issues by using autism social stories…

Research autism has shown autism social stories can be used as effective tools in teaching and re-enforcing important skills to an autistic child.

For example; “Tooth brushing”, “Getting a hair cut”, “Visiting grand parents” and even personal care issues like “menstruation”, “using deodorant” and school related autism social stories like “Recess”, “Making friends” and “Shared reading”.

Autism social stories have been used effectively by parents and educators of children with autism for a variety of situations the autistic child is struggling with.

Implementing autism social stories can have positive effects on the behaviors of children with autism.

To get immediate autism social stories downloads visit:

www.autismsocialstories.com

www.autismsocialstories.com/school

www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

www.autismsocialstories.com/behavior

www.autismsocialstories.com/asperger_adolescents

www.autismsocialstories.com/autistic_teens

www.autismsocialstories.com/howto

www.autismsocialstories.com/hygiene

www.autismsocialstories.com/potty

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Autism tools can be downloaded and used for various situations and activities.

Teaching social skills to kids with autism; can be made easier by using the appropriate autism tools…

Kids with autism will need to be taught autistic social skills directly, unlike a normally developing a child, the autistic child will not easily gather social skills from their environment.

An autistic child will lack interest in the activity’s of those around them, and will not have the ability to “mind read” or read the body or facial language of those they come into contact with, neither will they easily understand slang words, nick names and jokes.

Autism tools to help the autistic child or adolescent cope with and understand their environment and those they come into contact with; are downloadable, in the format of autism social skills stories…

Kids with autism rarely initiate imaginative or pretend play with their peers and prefer solitary play. They lack eye contact and find holding and maintaining conversation difficult.

Autistic social skills are taught using autism social skills stories. Teaching Social Skills to Kids with autism; autistic social skills such as “Having a good conversation”, “Pretend play”, “Friends” and being a good sport.

Research shows kids with autism respond well to autism social skills stories.

These short pieces of text are pictorially rich; kids with autism are visual learners and find the images in autism social skills stories easy to understand.

Autism social skills stories arm the autistic child with instructions in language they will understand. That will help them make sense of any situation, or event, activity they are struggling with or finding stressful.

To download suitable, pictorially rich autism social skills stories immediately visit:

www.autismsocialstories.com

www.autismsocialstories.com/school

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school_resources

www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

www.autismsocialstories.com/behavior

www.autismsocialstories.com/autistic_teens

www.autismsocialstories.com/asperger_adolescents

www.autismsocialstories.com/hygiene

www.autismsocialstories.com/potty

www.autismsocialstories.com/howto

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What every parent should know about the medication we give our children

What is safe and what is not!

Plus when to call the Doctor and important question YOU OUGHT TO ASK

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The “Fun Package” includes:

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Part Games For Kids of ALL Ages (including Adults)

Fun Arts and Crafts For ALL Children

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“The Healthy Eating Guide”

Nutritional Information

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What is Good for YOU and what is NOT?

This Guide can be YOURS FREE with any Download of social stories for autism and diet at:

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Children with autism may have difficulties within the classroom with issues such as listening and communicating with their teacher and peers. 

A normally developing child will have the ability to read facial and body language and will be able to understand subtle vocal noises or suggestions. The autistic student will lack this ability.

Autism educators should try and remember that the autistic child will have difficulties with things like interactive lessons, pretend play and shared reading etc

The autistic child, may have trouble following classroom directions and rules. Their lack of social understanding and need for repetition can lead to bullying and social isolation.

Teaching students with autism is made more difficult because children with autism will present problems with imagination, which can hamper some teaching strategies.

Their lack of imaginative or creative play will often mean lack of friendships and solitary play at recess. This is not uncommon; most children with autism prefer to be alone.

Teaching students with autism within the autism classrooms is not easy, lack of eye contact coupled with a lack of social skills maybe stressful.

Autism classrooms and autism educators can find help using autism social stories as an effective autism resource for managing, teaching and coping with autism behaviors and issues.

Research proves autism educators can benefit from introducing autism social stories to the autism classroom to help manage autism behaviors. Autistic students have shown great response to the use of autism social stories, using them as coping strategies within the autism classroo

Autism social skills stories are used as a resource for all situations within the school that the autistic student is struggling to understand and deal with.

Social skills stories giving all children with autism clear instructions on how, to deal and cope with school, helping them to comprehend and manage their learning, autism behaviors and social skills.

Autism educators report improvements in autistic students whom autism social skills stories have been used.

Download autism social skills stories for the autism classroom from

www.autismsocialstories.com/school

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school_resources

Or download social skills stories for all other issues and problems faced by autistic students, youths and adults from:

www.autismsocialstories.com

www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

www.autismsocialstories.com/asperger_Adolescents

www.autismsocialstories.com/autistic_teens

www.autismsocialstories.com/hygiene

www.autismsocialstories.com/behavior

www.autismsocialstories.com/potty

www.autismsocialstories.com/howto

Grab Your Free Report Today

What every parent should know about the medication we give our children

What is safe and what is not!

Plus when to call the Doctor and important question YOU OUGHT TO ASK

Plus a section on Natural Remedies

Download Your FREE Report NOW!

PLUS - Grab Your Exclusive “Fun Package” Offer

The “Fun Package” includes:

32 Ways To Keep Your Kids Busy

101 Craft Project Ideas

Part Games For Kids of ALL Ages (including Adults)

Fun Arts and Crafts For ALL Children

Gift Basket Ideas - but not necessarily in a Basket!!

Download The FREE Report and “Fun Package” Today

“The Healthy Eating Guide”

Nutritional Information

Advice and Top Tips

What is Good for YOU and what is NOT?

This Guide can be YOURS FREE with any Download of social stories for autism and diet at:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/diet