Empowering Social Interaction through Social Scripts Sue Larkey

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Friendship, play and social interaction are all two-way – and we need to support both the child with ASD and their peers to make social skills programmes work. Using social scripts to teach children with ASD, ADHD, ODD and PDA how to engage socially can be a great strategy to improve understanding of events and situations. Social scripts describe a social situation, skill or concept. The goal of a social script is to promote true social understanding.

For example, I taught a girl in Grade 1 who wasn’t doing her work, constantly getting frustrated and not staying at her seat. It turned out she didn’t know how OR when to ask for help. Creating a social script to explain the concept of ‘asking for help’, significantly changed this child’s ability complete work. Other students seem to learn these concepts without explicitly being taught, but in my experience ASD, ADHD, ODD and PDA students need support to understand expectations, rules and changes. The reason social scripts are so effective is that they are visual, can be referred back to and tell the child what to do or expect.

Ultimately, they help children with ASD understand social rules, what others mean and how to interact.

Start empowering social interaction through Social Scripts!

Examples of Social Situations where Social Scripts can be game-changers

When engaging in NEW activities or change

What to do if your teacher is away
Going on Camp /Excursions/ Swimming Lessons
New Teacher or New Teacher Aide
Change in Family: Loss of family member, Divorce, New baby
Coping with transitions

When developing understanding of the expectations / rules

What to do if you need help
What to do if you make a mistake
Sitting on the mat/desk or Waiting in line
What to do when I get to school
What to do when I lose something

How to Create Successful Social Scripts

Use Photos, line drawings, comic strips or even video to support social scripts.
Many students like helping to make the social scripts this can include selecting photos, typing or writing words, illustrating or laminating the finished book
It is important to use words that aren’t too specific such as ‘Sometimes,’ ‘Usually,’ ‘Often,’ or ‘Occasionally’ – this allows for flexibility
Social scripts are ALWAYS positive. Don’t use sentences such as ‘I often interrupt,’ or ‘Sometimes I hit other children.’ These sentences don’t give information about available alternatives.
Read with the social script with the student and check they understand, often it takes a few edits to get the social script perfect.

The key with Social Scripts is they need to be re-read often to reinforce the learning. Don’t wait until a problem arises to revisit. Make a copy for home and school. Many students I have taught love to re-read the social scripts regularly, especially if they have been successful.

DOWNLOAD SOCIAL SCRIPT EXAMPLE & EXPLANATION

Top 12 Books to Help Teach Social Skills to Children with ASD

Social skills and behaviour regulation are important for all children, but children with ASD and ADHD often need extra support and teaching of social skills. Below are some great resources to help teach social skills to children with ASD, ADHD and other development delays.

Developing Social Skills

By Sue Larkey & Gay von Ess

A starting point for teaching and encouraging social interactions and skills for children with an autism spectrum disorder and other developmental delays. It is a useful concrete and visual resource which when coupled with videoing, role playing and modelling will help young primary school age children with an autism spectrum disorder to better understand the social world around them. This book includes hundreds of ideas, social stories and worksheets. It is a great resource full of time savers for home and school.

Click here for more information about this book.

Socially Speaking Board Game

This fun game focuses on social interaction in three key areas: home, school, and the wider community. Children are able practice vital skills such as greetings, turn-taking, eye contact, listening, compliments, emotions, telephoning others, showing interest in what others are saying, sitting appropriately and still, asking and answering questions, using your voice effectively, developing and maintaining friendships, and more. Contains game board, 100 question cards, playing pieces and teacher’s notes for 2 to 6 players. Cards can be used for whole class activities.

Click here for more information about this book.

The New Social Story Book

by Carol Gray

This book is a must-have for every special needs and inclusive classroom. The easy to use format allows teachers to quickly look up an in-the-moment solution and learn about what the child is communicating, and why. This book illuminates possible causes of those mysterious behaviours, and more importantly, provides solutions!

Click here for more information about this book.

Ready to Use Social Scripts

How To Stop Your Words Bumping Into Someone Else’s and other really useful stories

by Anna Tullemans & Rhonda Dixon

This book has 18 Ready to use Social Scripts. All on A4 pages with an excellent picture to explain so many of the common challenges students with an ASD face in social and school situations. They include: Getting Someone’s Attention, Starting a Conversation, Interrupting, Asking Someone to Play, What if a Person Say’s No’?, Asking for Help, How loud or soft your voice should be, Waiting in Line, Waiting on the Mat and Waiting at your Desk.

Click here for more information about this book.