Frequently Needed Answers

Children with autism spectrum do not develop socially in the same manner as typically developing children. ASD (Autism spectrum disorder) is a neurological disorder affecting the way an individual’s brain develops.  

Children with an ASD have difficulty making friends and getting on well with their peers.

A child with an ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is far more likely to enjoy unusual interests not shared by their peers, for example an obsession with train timetables, clock mechanisms etc. This can in some cases cause the child to become socially isolated and unable to integrate fully with their peers.

All children with autism spectrum will have social skills impairments . However the individual’s social skills impairments will vary between children as no two kids will ever be exactly the same.

Having social skills impairments can make it hard for children with autism spectrum to understand how other children are feeling, their emotions, they will be unable to read the other child’s body language or facial expression.

Conquering social skills issues in children with autism spectrum can be difficult. However with time and perseverance, as well as autism supports like autism social skills stories  this can be achieved.

What are autism social skills stories?

A social skills story is a short story that has been written in a specific style and format. A social skills story gives information through visual images and text, providing clear, concise and accurate information about what is happening in a specific social situation.

The social skills story answers the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what. Showing visually what people do and why they do it, like a role model for the child with autism. This can help relieve anxieties and stress that can surround some social situations, for example making friends, asking questions, sharing, taking turns even respecting personal space, in-fact most social and communications difficulties can be addressed using autism social skills stories .

In fact the social skills story acts as a prompt for socially acceptable behaviours and can help the child with autism spectrum understand situations and skills and show them appropriate responses.

The social skills story can help children with autism spectrum prepare for routine changes and new situations, which can help reduce negative reactions and behaviours which stem from a lack of social understanding.

Conquering social skills issues in children with autism spectrum using autism social skills stories  has already proven successful, today social stories are considered one of the major autism supports and are widely used in homes, schools, colleges and out and about.

To learn more about autism supports such as autism social skills stories visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

Where you will also find a vast selection of autism social skills stories  which can be downloaded.

OR http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder have social deficiencies these are familiar to autism; it is due to these social deficiencies that the autistic child may be unaware of the rules of social conduct, how to act in public or interactions. Even though all autistic individuals have social deficiencies the level of disability and the combination of symptoms will vary from person to person.

Having social deficiencies is familiar to autism and at times can leave the autistic child open to bullying especially at school.

For many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder understanding language can also cause problems.

Generally kids with autism that display communication difficulties will misunderstand simple directions or questions and may take what is said too literally. For example; metaphors, humour, sarcasm, irony and other figures of speech (such as “watch what you say”) can all be confusing.

Due to their social deficiencies sometimes kids with autism can come across as rude or aloof. But while they may appear emotionally flat, the reality is that autistic child is far from unfeeling. What may appear like indifference or insensitivity is actually due to social impairments, the inability to see things as other people do.

However using management tactics of autism for communication struggles in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder will be beneficial.

There are many management tactics of autism available with social skills stories being probably the most significant for communication struggles in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Social Skills Stories are used effectively by parents, teachers, care givers and other professionals to help improve and teach social, imagination and interaction skills and behaviours as well as addressing communication difficulties in children with autism.

Social skills stories are management tactics of autism that are easy to implement and need no formal training to use, they can be downloaded from the internet or provided by your child’s OT, speech therapist and sometimes school.

Social skills stories help overcome social deficiencies by communication struggles in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, by helping the child with autism learn appropriate social skills and behaviours.

The social skills story provides the child with a step by step visual plan detailing the key points or goals, allowing them a chance to rehearse the skill or behaviour they are struggling with. Which will make the child feel more comfortable with and in the situation they are struggling with and less likely to become stressed or agitated.

To find out more about social skills stories for communication struggles in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Unlike normally developing children kids with autism spectrum find interactions difficult. This is due to autistic social skills deficits which are common to autism spectrum disorder.

A child on the spectrum will always have autistic social skills deficits but the degree or severity of their individual autistic social skills deficits will depend largely on the individual child on the spectrum and where on the autism spectrum they are.

The autistic social skills deficits common to autism spectrum disorder are difficulties with social interactions, communication deficits and deficits with imagination skills.

It is their deficits with social interaction skills that can make a child on the spectrum appear aloof and disinterested, which can hinder making and maintaining friends.

Having poor communication skills and a lack of imagination can mean the child on the spectrum may misunderstand pretend play, be unable to take turns and share.

So how do social skills stories teach children with autism about friendship.

Autism social skills stories were developed originally as an aid to help kids with autism spectrum communicate. Today they are largely used as a means of teaching social interaction skills as well as imagination skills and to address communication difficulties.

Autism social skills stories follow a set pattern of sentence type and use visual images to show in detail a skill or situation the child on the spectrum may be struggling to understand. So for example sharing, typically developing children may not like the idea of sharing, but will understand why they need to share and the consequence of not sharing.

A child on the spectrum will not necessarily understand why they need to share or indeed care to know why the consequence will be of little or no importance to them either. Therefore when deciding how to teach a skill like sharing it is a good idea to use supports that are designed to help a child with autism grasp a skill.

So for example how do social skills stories teach children with autism about friendship and being a good friend. The social skills story will answer the “wh” questions: who, where, why, when and what, as well as give the child with autism an insight into the thoughts and feelings of others. The social skills story acts as a role model, visually showing the autistic youngster how to deal with the skill or situation appropriately.

To learn more about social stories and how they could help your autistic youngster visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

When we think about reading minds we would probably think more of psychics or fair ground gypsies. This is not the case though all typically developing children and adults have the ability to read minds; this is called the theory of mind.

It is the ability to look at another person and guess what they may be thinking or feeling by looking at the person’s facial expression and body language and guessing at what that person is feeling or thinking about this is the theory of mind.

The theory of mind is nevertheless complicated our minds are comprised of emotions, beliefs, desires, perceptions, and intentions. By using these various attributes within our own minds we can predict how another person is feeling.

The ability to read minds in autism is missing. When looking at Autism spectrum and mind reading we need to first understand the deficits associated with those individuals with autism. These deficits with autism are social, communication, imagination and interaction deficits and are present in varying degrees in all individuals with autism.

Individuals with autism have social skills deficits in non verbal communication or mind reading. They lack the ability to read faces and body language; this autism social skills deficits can however be helped through the use of autism social skills stories for teaching those individuals with autism social skills deficits.

Autism social skills stories are used by experts and parents to teach social skills to children with autism spectrum disorder and adults such as Autism spectrum and mind reading. Written by experts in autism, autism social skills stories use appropriate language and images to teach social skills and behaviors like: happiness is a good feeling and when other children are upset.

Autism social skills stories teach children with autism spectrum disorder how to act in social situations, what to expect and suggest appropriate actions, reactions and behaviors as well as explain visually what to expect from others and what others expect of them.

Endorsed by experts download autism social skills stories for autism from

http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Most people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) find social situations very difficult. As typically developing individuals we learn social skills instinctively from our family, teachers, peers and general environment.

Unfortunately people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) are not able to instinctively learn social and communication skills and can sometimes be the subject of jibes, social mistakes and blunders due to their lack of appropriate social and communication skills.

Autism Social Stories are used as a visual treatment for autism to help people with ASD learn and develop an understanding of social and communication skills.

Autism Social Stories are used by parents, care givers, teachers and other professionals working or involved with children with autism spectrum disorder and related conditions.

Autism Social Stories were originally developed by therapist Gray to help her communicate with the ASD children she was working with, today social skills stories are used more widely as a means of developing social understanding and addressing communication difficulties.

An autism social skills story should introduce appropriate social knowledge, using first person text and visual images to describe the social situation or skill. It explains the how’s and whys of a social setting by answering the “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what.

An autism social skills story should be made up of four different sentence types, descriptive, perspective, directive and control sentences.

Generally children with an ASD are visual thinkers and learners which means they think in pictures. Therefore when teaching an autistic child it is generally easier to make information as visual as possible, that way the child will find the information easier to understand.

This is why a good autism social skills story will give information through pictures and first person text, each autism social skills story provides clear, concise and accurate information about what is happening in a specific social situation. The social skills story acts as role model for autistic children, helping them understand and cope with social situations and address communication difficulties effectively.

To learn more about Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Social Skills, as well as how social skills stories can help children with an ASD visit http://www.autismsocialstories.com

For information on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Social Skills, as well as downloads of Autism Social Stories visit any of the following sites

http://www.autismsocialstories.com

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

Visual supports are part of our everyday lives, we read newspapers, books, use the internet, watch TV, look at road maps, signs and so on. They are important, the vast majority of us rely on visual supports in our jobs, at school, college and so on, and many of us could not function as effectively without visual supports. 

Visual supports can be used to help people with Autistic spectrum disorder and related conditions in much the same way.

Most individuals with autism are visual thinkers and learners, meaning they think in pictures. Therefore presenting information in a visual manner can help encourage and support the communication skills, language development, social skills development, encourage positive behaviours and the ability to process information in people with autistic spectrum disorder.

Autistic spectrum disorder is a lifelong condition which affects a person’s ability in three main areas of development: social interactions, communication – verbal and nonverbal and imagination skills. This is often referred to as the triad of autistic social impairments.

The triad of autistic social impairments is found in all individuals with autism, but to varying degrees dependant on the individuals own level of development. There is no cure for autism, but there are various methods and treatments for autism spectrum available which can help those with autism address the triad of autistic social impairments.

Having a lack of social interaction, communication and imagination skills can be confusing and lead to social isolation and even bullying in many cases. For children with autism it is vital that they are taught appropriate social, communication and imagination skills directly. This is achieved using autistic visual supports.

So autistic visual supports what are they and where can you find them? There are various treatments for autism spectrum like autism social skills stories, PECS, flash cards, schedules, communication boards and so on all very good autistic visual supports and all readily available for most parents of autistic children.

The internet is the perfect place to begin, sites run by behaviour specialists, O.T’s, Language specialists, clinics and so on offer parents of autistic children the chance to order and download various autistic visual supports sometimes for free or for a small fee.

Probable one of the major visual supports for children with autism is autism social skills stories. A good source of autism social skills stories is found at: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Autism social skills stories are used to teach and encourage social interaction, communication and imagination skills and behaviours as well as address other difficulties that the person on the autism spectrum scale may be struggling with such as personal hygiene issues, school related difficulties and so on.

Social skills stories answer the “wh” questions - who, where, why, when and what as well as give an insight into the thoughts, emotions and feelings of others.

Using visual images and first person text the social skills story breaks the skill down into relevant social key points giving the person on the autism spectrum scale a chance to rehearse the skill making it more predictable, therefore reducing anxieties, confusion and stress.

Social skills stories are easy to edit; personalize and print making them convenient and easy to use. To find out more about autistic visuals supports what are they visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school

Social skills stories are used for teaching and helping children with autism to understand social awareness skills, social interactions, communication, expectations, how to deal with routine changes, unfamiliar activities and much more…

The social skills story is a brief descriptive story which uses first person text and images/pictures that provide information regarding a social situation.

When children with autism are given information that helps them understand the expectations of a situation, their problem behaviour within that situation is reduced or minimized.

Social skills teaching with social stories provides a foundation/framework for the child on the spectrum to refer to/follow, thus making the situation more familiar. Typically most children on the spectrum will prefer sameness and will dislike unfamiliarity, to this end the social skills story is a real benefit.

By detailing the skill being addressed the social skills story uses images/pictures and short specific sentences which generally follow a set pattern of sentence type: directive – perspective – control – descriptive.

Social skills teaching with social stories typically needs no formal training stories can be obtained for various skills/situations that the child on the spectrum is struggling with from hygiene issues like puberty to going out and school related issues

A social skills story ia an autism resource which addresses the skill/situation by breaking it down into smaller easier to understand sections, using images and text it will answer the ever important “wh” questions – who, what, why, where and when as well as “HOW” and should also offer an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of considerable weakness in most children with autism.

To learn more about how social skills teaching with social stories can be achieved please visit:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com 

Where you will find relevant information on social stories as well as other appropriate autism resources, such as communication cards, behaviour plans and so on.

http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Autism is one of the most common developmental disorders yet still it is misunderstood.

There is no cure for autism, raising a child with autism spectrum is probably one of the toughest challenges a parent could face, the physical and emotional challenges faced can be overwhelming.

Unfortunately, the typical symptoms of autism can be severe in some children which undoubtedly will have an affect on the autistic child’s entire family.

Although there is nothing that can be done to reverse autism, there are strategies parents of children on the autism spectrum can use to help with the typical symptoms of autism.

Research has shown parents of children on the autism spectrum suffer more stress than parents of children with learning disabilities.

Therefore finding the right resources for children on the autism spectrum is essential.

Which resources and children with autism are available and how can you access them quickly and easily?

Parents of children on the autism spectrum are using resources for children on the autism spectrum such as autistic social skills stories.

Studies into the use of resources and children with autism; show that there is a significant improvement in teaching autism social skills and good behaviors to children on the autism spectrum, once autistic social skills stories have been introduced.

Autistic social skills stories are used effectively for teaching autism social skills and behaviors to children on the autism spectrum; written by experts in autistic behaviors, autistic social skills stories can help an autistic child learn vital social skills and appropriate behaviors.

The social story is typically written in first person text and will normally have visual images/pictures which show the child with autism what is happening and why.

The social story aims to answer the ever important “wh” questions- who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” and will offer the child with autism an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of considerable weakness in most children on the spectrum.

Consequently, parents of children on the autism spectrum are able to find better coping methods, which can in turn help alleviate some of the stress parents find themselves under.

Therefore, teaching autism social skills and good behaviors to children on the autism spectrum by using this valuable autism resource can be very beneficial.

The internet now makes finding this autism resource much easier and less time consuming.

To download autistic social skills stories that help parents of children on the autism spectrum find better coping methods, for behaviors such as screaming or even autistic stimming visit a good autism resource site such as:

www.autismsocialstories.com

For most children on the spectrum, Printable Autism Social Stories for Children with Autism can really HELP make skills and situation that they are not comfortable with easier to understand and cope with.

Printable Autism Social Stories for Children with Autism ARE used to help prepare children for new situations: For example:  Transitions, Going to the Dentist or even getting a haircut.

The social story uses visual images and first person text to describe the situation in terms of the relevant social cues, in a way they can understand.

Printable Autism Social Stories for Children with Autism answer the “wh” questions – who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” and should also offer an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in most autistic children.

The social story is easy to implement and needs no formal training to use, they can be adapted to personalize them, printed and used again and again.

Printable Autism Social Stories for Children with Autism need to be visual, as the majority of autistic children ARE visual thinkers and learners, which means that they think in images/pictures and that language is secondary.

Visual Social Stories

Visual social stories are easy to use and can be implemented in the same manner as social stories.

The visual social story uses small laminated cards approx. 8 x 11cm in size. The visual social story is broken into small sections and each piece of the social story is printed onto one side of the card.

The visual social story can be used to help teach social and communication skills and behaviours for example: brushing teeth, recess, break time, moving house and so on…

To view Printable Autism Social Stories for Children with Autism visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com/stories.html

As well as visual social stories visit:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/visual.html

For most children with autism lacking social interaction skills is common. Many children with autism will want to make and have friends but will find this process confusing and stressful.

Lacking social interaction skills is often referred to as the autism triad of impairments but those autism triad of impairments will vary from child to child.

The actual degree a child is affected with the autism triad of impairments will generally depend on the individual’s social development.

Some children with autism on the lower end of the autism scale may have little or no language and may have other related disabilities. On the other end of the autism scale those children with asperger syndrome will often be schooled in mainstream schools and be of average to above average intelligence. This set of individuals will probably desire friendships.

Those children with asperger syndrome or mild autism will probably want friendships but making and maintaining those friendships will be a struggle, unfortunately it is believed around 40% of autistic children in mainstream education will at some point be a victim to bullying.

For most typically developing children recess and break times are a time of fun and a chance to run around and interact with their peers, this is “normal behavior”

However this is not the case with an autistic child, often the sound of the bell can fill them with fear and dread. Autistic children prefer structure, routine and dislike surprises, noises and the unstructured chaos of free time. They find choice making difficult and can sometimes be overwhelmed by recess and break times.

A lot of autistic children find recess confusing, there are a lot of choices to be made, what to play with, who to play with, what to do, so many choices a “typical child” will take for granted and enjoy, this is not the case with an autistic child.

For example a simple game, the autistic child may choose to join in with their peers, but may find comprehending the rules confusing, they may not understand the need for the rules, and then just as they start to understand the rules may change or the game may stop.

The other end to this is those children with autism that will stick rigidly to the rule and this can sometimes take the fun out of the game for the other normally developing children, they may loose interest and unfortunately the autistic child may not understand why this is and become distressed.

Some autistic children can become overwhelmed by noise, which can make recess or break time a painful and stressful time, you may find them pacing up and down in their own little world until recess is over and they can return to the routine and structure of the classroom.

All these factors can make autism and finding friends difficult to say the very least.

So how can you help with the problem of autism and finding friends?

Generally as we discussed earlier kids with autism prefer structure and routine, this can be achieved by the use of autism visual supports such as autism visual schedules and social skills stories, these resources are used in the classroom to add structure and routine the child’s day.

These autism visual supports can also be used to help kids with autism cope with recess and break times taking away some of anxieties they may feel around this time of the day.

The autism visual supports can also be used to help autistic children understand how to maintain friendships, by teaching the autistic child how to use conversation, how to pretend play, how to be kind, respect peoples feelings and personal space, how to share and make choices and so on, all social skills we take for granted, but an autistic child will need to be taught these social skills directly.

Therefore the perfect place to start with autism and making friends is with autism visual supports such as autism visual schedules and social skills stories to teach the autistic child the social skills necessary for making and maintaining friendships and dealing with recess and break times.

You can find appropriate social skills stories and other autism resources for kids with autism for download at:

www.autismsocialstories.com

www.autismsocialstories.com/stories.html

www.autismsocialstories.com/sensory.html

There are some very good resources available that can help children with autism to overcome social skills difficulties.

Adopting successful social skills teaching for children with autism is easier using visual support tools like: PECS, Social Skills Stories, Picture Communication Cards and so on…

We know that predominantly children with autism ARE visual thinkers and learners, which means that they ARE more likely to understand and learn from information that is presented visually.

Therefore it is believed that successful social skills teaching for children with autism is done visually using visual support tools. For example social skills stories use images/pictures to explain how and why.

The social story answers the “wh” questions – who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” and should also offer an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in most autistic individuals.

Acting much like a visual step by step plan or framework of the skill or behaviour the social story will allow the child on the autism spectrum to rehearse the skill, reducing any stresses and anxiety.

Social skills stories use first person text in a positive manner and always from the point of view of the child on the autism spectrum.

The social story is easy to implement and needs “NO formal training to use”

The social story can be used for most situations, skills and behaviours such as asking questions and making friends. It can also be used for teaching kids on the spectrum skills like sharing, taking turns, respecting personal space, coping at recess and many other skills including self-help and hygiene skills.

To view appropriate information on adopting successful social skills teaching for children with autism using social stories and picture communication cards visit:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/preschool

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

Social stories ARE short descriptive pieces of text that use images to help show the child with ASD how to develop social understanding and interact with others which is difficult for most autistics.

Social stories are written to help children with autism learn social skills and behaviours which they struggle with like for example – making friends, asking questions, sharing and so on…

Following set patterns of sentence types the social story is typically written in first person text and always from the perspective of the child with ASD.

The social story should aim to answer the “wh” questions – who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” and should also aim to offer an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in most autistics.

 Social stories can help children with autism learn social skills by giving them a chance to rehearse the skill or behaviour.

Characteristically kids with ASD are visual thinkers and learners, which means that they tend to think and learn visually rather than through written or spoken means. It is therefore important when trying to teach or impart information to kids with ASD you should make it visual, social stories follow this idea.

Using images to describe much like a visual plan or step by step plan the visual social story is easy to implement and will need no formal training to use.

To download social stories which can help children with autism learn social skills visit:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Or any of the following sites

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/preschool

Social stories ARE short descriptive pieces of text that will normally follow a set pattern of sentence type.

Social stories can HELP TEACH social and communication skills to children with autism and related conditions.

Developed around twenty years ago to aid communication social skills stories ARE now one of the major strategies used in teaching and supporting children with autism and related conditions.

The social story WILL answer the “wh” questions – who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” and will give an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in most people on the autism spectrum.

Typically people on the autism spectrum ARE VISUAL thinkers and learners, this means that they tend to think in pictures and WILL find VISUAL information much easier to understand.

Therefore, using social stories to teach social skills is beneficial. The social story WILL act like a visual framework or step by step plan of the skills or behaviour and allow the child with autism to prepare and feel more comfortable with and in the situation.

By detailing the important social cues and giving possible answers and outcomes the social story WILL give the child with autism more confidence and reduce stress and confusion.

Characteristically children with autism HAVE social skills deficits, the social story can help to address these effectively.

Always written in first person text and from the point of view of the autistic child the social story is easy to implement and needs no formal training to use.

Visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com where you will find information on using social stories to teach social skills and downloads.

Alternatively visual any of the following sites for downloads of social skills stories

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/behavior

We know that the majority of children with autism spectrum ARE indeed visual thinkers and learners, meaning that they think in images/picture and for the main will better understand visual teachings and information.

It is therefore vital that we aim to teach and provide information more visually. For example using autistic visual supports like flash cards, communication cards and social stories etc…

Access autistic visual supports at:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com  there ARE various supports for children with autism spectrum available on this site.

Typically children on the autism spectrum have difficulties with social awareness and communication and will struggle to make sense of the ever changing and unpredictable world which surrounds them. These difficulties are often a major cause for stress and anxiety in many children on the autism spectrum.

By using visual supports for autism YOU can help your child with ASD better cope and understand things and situations which they find difficult, like for example asking questions, sharing, respecting personal space, asking other kids to play and so on…

Autistic visual supports such as social stories ARE designed to show the child with ASD what to expect and what is expected of them. The social story WILL answer the ever important “wh” questions – who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” and should also offer the child on the spectrum an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of considerable weakness in most children with autism.

The often aloof appearance of many children with autism can make them appear selfish, but this is not their intention or the case. This appearance is merely a lack of social awareness skills. Unlike typically developing youngsters the child on the spectrum WILL NOT learn social and communication skills in the normal manner – ie: people watching, from peers and the environment.

For children on the autism spectrum direct teaching is generally needed. This direct teaching is done using autistic visual supports.

Access autistic visual supports to help you teach and calm your child with ASD visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com  where you will find immediate downloads of social stories as well as information on how visual supports for autism work.

You will also be able to access autistic visual supports like: communication cards, flash cards and visual social story cards and folders.

http://www.autismsocialstories.com

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/behavior

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

The main difficulties experienced by those on the autism spectrum are deficits in three main areas of development: social awareness, communication (verbal and non-verbal) also imagination skills.

It is these deficits which ARE common to all those on the autism spectrum in varying degrees, depending on the individuals own abilities.

Children with autism ARE typically visual thinkers and learners which means that VISUAL SUPPORTS are going to be easier for the child on the autism spectrum to USE and UNDERSTAND.

There is no known cure for autism but there ARE significant “Autism Behaviour Supports and Techniques” available which ARE visual and can be easily implemented.

For example – Autism Behaviour Supports and Techniques like:

Autism Social Skills Stories, Visual Social Story Cards, Communication Cards, PECS and so on…

All of these ARE visual supports which can be used to help the child on the autism spectrum OVERCOME their own individual challenges and deficits.

Autism Social Skills Stories - USE images/pictures and can act like a visual plan/framework of the skill or behaviour being tackled. For example a social story can be implemented to help the child with autism cope with group activities, learn appropriate social skills like asking questions, respecting personal space, taking turns and so on…

The social story WILL answer the “wh” questions – who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” and WILL offer an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in those on the autism spectrum.

Autism Social Skills Stories ARE normally written in first person text and WILL usually be written from the perspective of the child with autism. The social story should also be written in word format to make editing and printing easier.

No two children with autism WILL ever be the same and we all use different terminology with our kids, therefore editing and personalization ARE important.

To learn more about Autism Behaviour Supports and Techniques such as Autism Social Skills Stories, Visual Social Story Cards and Communication Cards visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/behavior

Typically kids with autism HAVE deficits in three main areas of development: social, communication (both verbal and non-verbal) and imagination skills and behaviours.

It is because of these deficits many kids with autism HAVE difficulties understanding and accepting the “hidden social rules of everyday life”.

For example a child on the spectrum WILL commonly miss social cues and be unable to interpret body language or facial expression – so it is of no use “tutting” or giving “knowing nod” these hidden social cues WILL usually be missed!

However there are treatments for autism which foster social skills in kids with autism such as social skills stories and picture communication cards.

These treatments for autism ARE normally USED to help the child on the spectrum feel more comfortable with and in situations that they normally struggle with like for example asking questions, sharing, making friends and so on…

Social skills stories ARE short descriptive pieces of text written in a set format which is typically first person text and from the autistic child’s own point of view.

Characteristically children with autism ARE visual thinkers and learners, which means that they find visual information easier to understand and follow, therefore it is believed and proven through research that children with autism respond better to visual teaching.

Consequently, social skills stories and picture communication cards DO FOLLOW this belief and ARE typically visual.

The social skills story USES images and pictures with short pieces of text to visually show the child on the spectrum what is happening and why.

The social skills story does this by answering the “wh” questions – who, what, where, when and why as well as “HOW” and will offer an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in most children with autism.

The social skills story can be adapted to suit individual needs and abilities and are generally written in word format with NO FORMAL training needed to use social skills stories.

Teachers and parents can foster social skills in kids with autism using social stories and picture communication cards. To gain immediate download and learn more about how these treatments for autism work visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com 

OR

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/behavior

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

Children with autism have a variety of deficits which ARE common to autism. However the main deficits associated with the disorder are often referred to social skills deficits.

Characteristically social skills deficits affect three main areas of development: social, communication and imagination skills and behaviours.

 Unlike typically developing kids a child with ASD WILL NOT learn social skills through observation, peers, family and the environment and WILL NEED direct teaching to overcome social skills deficits.

There ARE numerous supports for autism which can be used to teach social skills to kids with autism such as social stories, picture communication cards, flash cards and so on..

These supports for autism ARE commonly referred to Visual Intervention Strategies and by large ARE used to support and teach social, communication and imagination skills and behaviours amongst other uses such as help with hygiene skills, puberty, activities and events the child with ASD may find confusing or stressful.

Many parents and teachers ARE able to teach social skills to kids with autism using Visual Intervention Strategies as they need NO FORMAL training to use and implement and are readily available online from experts like http://www.autismsocialstories.com

A social skills story is a short descriptive almost comic like in appearance story which shows a child with ASD what is happening and why. This WILL help to reduce unwanted stress, anxiety and confusion, which in turn WILL HELP the child with ASD feel more comfortable with and in the situation.

The social skills story WILL ANSWER the “wh” question – who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” and WILL ALSO offer an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in most children with autism.

Characteristically children with autism ARE VISUAL thinkers and learners, which makes social skills stories ideal. The social story should focus on one particular skill or behaviour that the child on the spectrum is struggling with and visually show and explain how and what is required of them and in return what they can expect from others.

A social skills story USES visual images/pictures a long with first person text and will always be written from the point of view of the child on the spectrum.

Children with autism fins social interactions difficult, the social skills story can act like a visual framework or plan which the child on the spectrum can follow and refer to in times of difficulty.

Social skills stories ARE USED in many situations for example: asking questions, joining in play, making friends, recess, getting a haircut, visiting a dentist, going to a birthday party and so on…

Teach social skills to kids with autism using social skills stories by visiting sites like http://www.autismsocialstories.com

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/preschool

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/behavior

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/hygiene

Commonly children with autism HAVE difficulties with social interaction and awareness skills and behaviours.

This is mainly due to “social skills deficits” or “The theory of mind” put simply deficits in three main areas of development can be expected:

Social skills

Communication skills

And Imagination skills

The theory of mind – social skills deficits WILL affect each individual differently no two people WILL ever be identical.

There is NO CURE for autism but there are various treatments of autism which help children with autism learn social skills. For example social skills stories, visual social story cards, PECS, flash cards and so on…

In order to help children with autism learn social skills parents and teachers should first observe the child to determine which skills/behaviours that the child with ASD is finding difficult or stressful.

Developed around twenty years ago visual intervention strategies like social stories ARE implemented to teach and re-enforce already learnt skills and behaviours.

A social story is a short descriptive story written to help teach a social skill, for example joining in play, asking questions, sharing and so on…

Typically intervention strategies like social stories need NO formal training to use and can be implemented quite easily.

Commonly social skills stories answer the “wh” questions – who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” and WILL offer the chid with ASD an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in most children with autism spectrum disorder.

The social story acts like a VISUAL PLAN OR FRAMEWORK of the skill/behaviour and looks much like a comic script.

All social stories ARE typically written in first person language and in a manner that the ASD child will understand.

The social story will help children with autism learn social skills by showing visually what they can expect and what others will expect of them.

Typically children with autism spectrum disorder ARE visual thinkers and learners which means that they think in images/pictures and will use speech/language as secondary, which makes visual intervention strategies like social skills stories ideal.

To learn more about social stories and how they can benefit your ASD child visit:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Or any of the following sites where you will be able to get downloads of social skills stories:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/preschool

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/behavior

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/hygiene

Autistic supports ARE used to help people with autism learn or remember social and communication skills and behaviours.

There ARE various supports for autism, but probably the most significant of the autistic supports ARE VISUAL.

Typically people with autism ARE VISUAL thinkers and learners this means that they USE visual images/pictures as their first language and speech/ words as secondary.

Therefore it is commonly believed that the most BENEFICIAL autistic supports ARE VISUAL. For example:

Social stories

Visual social story cards and folders

PECS

Communication cards – flash cards

…And so on…

For the purpose of this article we are looking at SOCIAL STORIES

Social stories for autism ARE visual autistic supports which were first introduced around twenty years ago to teach communication skills to children with autism spectrum disorder.

Today social stories for autism ARE widely used by teachers and parents to not only teach but re-enforce social, communication and imagination skills and behaviours.

A social story is a short descriptive story which looks much like a comic script. The social story WILL describe a skill or situation from the perspective of the child with autism.

Social stories for autism ARE visual autistic supports that use images/pictures to detail what is happening and why. Acting like a visual framework or plan the social story WILL answer the “wh” questions – who, what, why, when and where as well as “HOW” and will offer an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of considerable weakness in most kids with autism.

To learn more about social stories for autism visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com and get immediate downloads of 100 social stories for kids with autism

Probably one of the most significant difficulties for children with autism spectrum is a lack of social awareness skills and behaviours, which is referred to as social skills deficits

These deficits ARE made worse due to deficits with communication both verbal and non-verbal. However there are various treatments of autism that CAN help a child on the spectrum OVERCOME many of their own social skills deficits.

Typically developing children WILL learn social awareness skills through observation, peers, family and their environment. This is NOT TRUE for a child on the spectrum this is due to the “theory of mind” a child with autism WILL NOT be able to read another person’s facial expression or body language.

This lack of the theory of mind WILL mean that the child with autism WILL have difficulties determining what is happening the” hidden social rules” which CAN lead to social mistakes and at times even isolation.

There is no cure for autism but the various treatments of autism CAN and WILL help OVERCOME many of the skills your child is struggling with.

Probably one of the most significant treatments of autism is autistic social skills stories which ARE used to help children with autism spectrum understand and learn skills and behaviours that ARE causing them stress or confusion, like for example self-help skills, asking questions, making friends and so on…

Typically autistic social skills stories ARE short descriptive pieces of text that ARE written in first person text and ALWAYS from the autistic individual’s point of view.

Commonly children with autism spectrum ARE VISUAL thinkers and learners this means that they find VISUAL information much easier to use and UNDERSTAND.

Autistic social skills stories ARE VISUAL, the social story USES images /pictures to detail the skill or behaviour in terms of the relevant social cues.

The social story acts like a VISUAL FRAMEWORK OR PLAN of the skill or situation helping to make the child on the spectrum feel more comfortable with and in the situation.

It should also answer the ever important “wh” questions – who, what, why, where and when as well as “HOW” and should offer an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others which is an area of marked weakness in most children with autism spectrum.

To learn more about autistic social skills stories visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/behavior