Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Asperger’s Syndrome, will often have difficulty understanding many everyday situations.

You might see this manifested in several areas, including their:

• Expressive language (what you say)
• Receptive language (what you hear)
• Non-verbal language (body language, facial expressions, & what you mean)
• Behavior (verbal, emotional, & physical)

For many of these children, the daily life experiences that we take for granted are simply lost on them.  They are rarely able to learn by the natural ebb and flow that occurs with much of our typical development. Brushing teeth, going to the doctor, and playing at the park with friends could all qualify as traumatic life events for these children if they don’t learn how to interpret, process, and interact within these and many more situations.

Teaching children with ASD or AS how to be, do, and act within their daily life experiences usually requires a combination of verbal and visual instruction, as well as role playing on many occasions.  There are several strategies I have used with children over the years.  Utilizing Social Stories has always been a helpful tool for me to keep in my bag of tricks!

Since developing Social Stories in 1991, Carol Gray has continued to teach and train others, as well as develop many excellent resources.

Check out her website for more information on:

• Social Stories~ What they are, how to use them, and how to write them.
• Samples of Social Stories.
• Her current schedule of speaking engagements.
• Resources available at their online store.  (Several resources are on SALE right now!)

While there, you can also find:

• Links to numerous resources for parents, children, & families.

You can also find me over at The Truest Thing.