Social Stories:
Pupils with ASC may find it difficult to understand social situations and social expectations- which behaviours are socially acceptable and which are not. Some pupils may also find direct instructions or direct correction difficult.
Social Stories teach pupils how to behave in given situations and about the feelings and needs of others in a non-confrontational manner. The tell the story of someone else who has been in the same situation or done the same thing and tell the story of how that effected the other people around them and how that person could do things much better the next time. In this context many pupils with autism do not take affront at the correction of their errors at all but very calmly and logically learn the more appropriate way of behaving socially. Often it is simply a question of the pupil not understanding the social expectations that non-autistic people have learned through intuition and take for granted. Once explained the pupil is often perfectly happy to comply with the 'rules'.
It is important that social stories are closely tailored to the social needs and the level of understanding of the pupil concerned.