This is being addressed now with the use of Social Stories. According to Carol Gray, social stories focus on describing and explaining the often abstract and subtle social cues and understandings that can be so hard to follow. When using a social story, the perspective is based upon the person with autism, the perspective of others, the social expectations of a situation, and the way to make the best choices in those situations. Social stories are scripted scenarios that people with autism can write with a support person. The social stories can help the person with autism resolve issues that are frustrating, reinforce social rules, and other more abstract concepts that may be difficult to understand.
Social stories help individuals with autism learn appropriate ways to interact in social situations.
They can teach how to follow a routine, how to ask for help, how to handle a difficult situation, or how to respond to emotions such as frustration or anger. Examples to follow. Carol Gray, suggestions for every one directive or control sentence that there should be two to five descriptive or perspective sentences. Perspective Sentences describe the reactions, feelings, or thoughts of other people in a situation. Control Sentences are often written with the client to identify strategies used to recall the information in the story and remember what to do.