One of the best sections in the website though are the free social stories that they have made available.
What are social stories?
Social stories were created by Carol Gray in 1991. They are short descriptions of a particular situation, event or activity, which include specific information about what to expect in that situation and why.
What are social stories for?
Social stories can be used to:
- develop self-care skills (eg how to clean teeth, wash hands or get dressed), social skills (eg sharing, asking for help, saying thank you, interrupting) and academic abilities
- help someone to understand how others might behave or respond in a particular situation
- help others understand the perspective of an autistic person and why they may respond or behave in a particular way
- help a person to cope with changes to routine and unexpected or distressing events (eg absence of teacher, moving house, thunderstorms)
- provide positive feedback to a person about an area of strength or achievement in order to develop self-esteem
- as a behavioural strategy (eg what to do when angry, how to cope with obsessions).
They can help with sequencing (what comes next in a series of activities) and 'executive functioning' (planning and organising).
By providing information about what might happen in a particular situation, and some guidelines for behaviour, you can increase structure in a person's life and thereby reduce anxiety.
Creating or using a social story can help you to understand how the autistic person perceives different situations.
We have attached one of these stories on 'Keeping my body calm' as an example, however there are many different topics such as 'making mistakes' and 'taking care of my body'. These can all be downloaded free from the following website;
Able to Learn Website - Social Stories
Should you require any further information on social stories please contact us through the support form and Mr Thomson, Mrs Wood or Mrs Roberts will give you a call.
School Support Form