Frequently Needed Answers

A child with an ASD will not intentionally cause stress or upset anybodies feelings. A child with an ASD will not misbehave or harm simply out of fun or mischief.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disorder that affects the individual’s brain. Autism Spectrum Disorder affects the way the individual processes information, communicates, uses language, thinks, acts, reacts and uses their imagination. These common characteristics of autism are called social skills deficits.

The common characteristics of autism will often make a child with autism appear rude, aloof even arrogant at times. However this is not intentional, an individual with autism spectrum disorder will be brutally honest and say as they see it, be uninterested in appearing cool and oblivious to public opinion.

These are not bad characteristics, just difficult to understand. However for parents with autistic children these common characteristics of autism can make life extremely difficult and at times stressful.

Strategies to teach children with autism social and communication skills and behaviours are useful, research does suggest parents report significant improvements in social behaviours.

Having the ability to socially interact and communicate both verbally and nonverbally is a naturally learnt ability in typically developing beings. These skills however are missing in autistic children and need to be taught directly.

Using strategies to teach children with autism such as social stories does show vast improvements in social and communication skills. Social stories are short descriptive stories like a social script or framework for the skills or behaviour needing to be taught.

Using visual images which most autistic people find easier to understand and first person text the social story breaks the skill down into relevant social cues and shows the individual with autism spectrum disorder what to expect and what others will expect from them.

Answering the “wh” questions - who, where, why, when and what as well as offering an insight into the verbal and non verbal communications of others, social skills stories can help support as well as teach social and communications skills, thus reducing stress and inappropriate behaviours.

To learn more about how using strategies to teach children with autism like social stories will help your child visit: http://www.autismsocialstories.com

Or any of the following sites:

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/behavior

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/school_resources

http://www.autismsocialstories.com/social_skills

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