The Social Skills Picture Book. Jed Baker, PhD

social skills do not come

      naturally to autistic individuals, and must be taught explicitly.

      The Social Skills Picture Book

      attempts to do just that, to

      break down social skills into their components and make explicit what to do and say in social situations.

The Importance of Visual Aids in Teaching Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

      People with autism often have language and attention issues that interfere with their ability to learn from verbal

      explanations alone. As described earlier, many autistic individuals have difficulty comprehending language itself. For

      those others who have little trouble comprehending words, they may, nevertheless, have great difficulty staying attentive

      while learning tasks, especially if they become obsessively focused on their own area of interests. The benefits of using

      visual aids to facilitate greater understanding and comprehension among autistic students have been well documented

      (e.g., Quill, 1995). Most students, even those without disabilities, benefit from visual aids that back up a verbal

      explanation. This is because visual pictures (a) can make abstract verbal concepts more concrete, (b) remain stable over

      time, while auditory information can be missed as students’ attention fluctuates, and (c) provide a more powerful means

      to engage attention.

      The Social Skills Picture Book

      uses a primarily visual strategy to teach social skills. Although the picture sets may

      benefit “typical” students, they will be particularly helpful for youngsters with auditory/language processing difficulties,

      difficulties in abstract thinking, and for those with difficulties sustaining attention. This includes children on the autism

      spectrum, those with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders, and individuals with learning disabilities.

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      TEACHING SOCIAL SKILLS

      There are numerous strategies to teach social skills, all of which attempt to make explicit the social information and

      perspectives that may otherwise go unnoticed by autistic individuals. Described below are various strategies that have