Visual strategies for improving communication in children on the autism spectrum
Saturday, August 7th, 2010For children on the autism spectrum communication difficulties are common. Research suggests that the vast majority of children on the autism spectrum find visual information easier to understand than the spoken word.
Consequently, tools for autism such as visual supports cards and social skills stories are used more effectively for teaching and improving communication in children on the autism spectrum.
It is a fact that visual strategies work best with children on the spectrum. Therefore parents, teachers and other professionals use tools for autism like social skills stories to help address communication difficulties such as asking questions, having a good conversation, calming down and so on.
Social skills stories work well because they are visual, short pieces of first person text in specific patterns of sentence types. Which show by answering the important “wh” questions – who, where, why, when and what as well as giving an insight into the thoughts, feelings and emotions of others.
A common issue in children with autism is their inability to process information in the typical manner. This inability to process information in many cases can lead to communication difficulties as well as social blunders.
A typically developing child naturally learns social and communication skills and the ability to read another’s body language and facial expression. Without this ability many children with autism can misread situations and cause harm or hurt feelings without that intention.
Visual strategies for improving communication in children on the autism spectrum like social stories can be downloaded from: http://www.autismsocialstories.com
By implementing visual strategies such as visual support cards and social skills stories you can teach your child with autism social, communication, imagination skills and behaviours as well as address sensory processing issues that are common to autism, like visiting a dentist, tooth brushing, getting a haircut and so on. Social stories are one of the major tools for autism used today, they are editable, can be personalized and printed for ease of use and convenience.
Learn more about visual strategies for improving communication in children on the autism spectrum like visual supports cards from: http://www.autismsocialstories.com/visual_aids
Other social stories can be accessed at:
http://www.autismsocialstories.co.uk