Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Positively Autism July Newsletter: Social Narratives

Articles:
July Newsletter Topic: Social Narratives - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/july-newsletter-topic-social-narratives.html

What Are Social Stories™? Video from Carol Gray - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-are-social-stories-video-from.html

Social Narratives as an Evidence-Based Practice - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/social-narratives-as-evidence-based.html

How To Write A Social Narrative - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-to-write-social-narrative.html

The New Social Story Book, Revised and Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-new-social-story-book-revised-and.html


Free Stories:
Swimming Pool Safety Story - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/swimming-pool-safety-story.html

"When I Feel Angry" Social Narrative - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/when-i-feel-angry-social-narrative.html

"When I Can Scream" Social Narrative - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/when-i-can-scream-social-narrative.html

"Waiting While Riding in the Car" Social Narrative - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/waiting-while-riding-in-car-social.html

Saying 'No, Thank You' Social Narrative - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/saying-no-thank-you-social-narrative.html

Blank PowerPoint Template for Social Narratives Booklets - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/blank-powerpoint-template-for-social.html


Other:
July Positive Autism News - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/july-positive-autism-news.html

Autism Speaks Launches National Housing and Residential Supports Survey - http://positively-autism.blogspot.com/2013/07/autism-speaks-launches-national-housing.html

Ice Cream Math and Match Fun Folder Game Set - http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ice-Cream-Math-and-Match-Folder-Game-Set-5-Games-in-2-Folders-798505

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The New Social Story Book, Revised and Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition


Book Description (From the Publisher):

Social Stories provide REAL social understanding! Carol Gray developed the Social Story in 1991 to promote social understanding in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Now, nearly twenty years after their inception, Social Stories have become a standard approach for teachers and parents all over the globe, and the stories are more effective than ever!

Winner of an Outstanding Literary Work of the Year Award by the Autism Society of America, this 10th Anniversary Edition of The New Social Story Book offers over 150 of the most requested Social Stories, each one professionally written by Carol Gray. But it doesn't end there. Carol also teaches you how to write Social Stories yourself! Years of experience and trial-and-error have led to updated Story guidelines. Carol explains her fine-tuned process in the included ten-step learning module The Social StoryTM 10.1 Tutorials perfect for parents and teachers!

INSIDE ARE GEMS SUCH AS:

  • Mistakes Can Happen on a Good Day
  • It Was Fun but Now We re Done
  • When It Is My Turn to Listen
  • Saying What I Think with Respect
  • Learning to Respond to Bullying
  • Telling My Teacher about a Problem
  • Fire Drills at School
  • Moving to a New Home
  • Children Grow Kind Of Slow
  • The Truth about Messes
  • This Place is Busy
  • and DOZENS MORE!

PLUS, to jump-start your story-writing journey, this book comes with a CD containing each Social Story in ready-to-print PDFs AND easy-to-edit Word files! With the CD, you can customize story content and insert images relevant to your child or student s individual experiences. An invaluable bonus!
 
 

Monday, July 29, 2013

July Positive Autism News

Review: The Reason I Jump: One Boy's Voice from the Silence of Autism, by Naoki Higashida
July 27, 2013
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/jul/29/reason-jump-autism-naoki-higashida-review


New Documentary Explores Autism from Autistic People’s Perspective
July 19, 2013
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/2013/07/19/3042013/new-documentary-explores-autism.html

Boy with Autism Finds Unique Way to Communicate Through Drawings
July 18th, 2013
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=26063928&nid=148

"The ability that autism has given him in the sense of how to focus, how to look at detail, how to create things. That is going to be his gift back to the world."

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Saying 'No, Thank You' Social Narrative


A story for teaching children to use polite words when offered something they don't want.

http://www.positivelyautism.com/downloads/socialstory_nothankyou.pdf


Want more free social skill stories and activities? Check out Positively Autism's social skills page! http://www.positivelyautism.com/free/1free_social.html

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Autism Speaks Launches National Housing and Residential Supports Survey

From Autism Speaks:

Within the next decade, more than 500,000 individuals with autism will enter adulthood. Finding and securing housing and residential supports for adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) can be extremely challenging for individuals and their families. Autism Speaks seeks to quantify and characterize the housing needs of individuals, adolescents and adults with autism in the United States through the first-of-its-kind National Housing and Residential Supports Survey. 

Our goal is to increase the support of both the public and private sectors to expand housing and residential supports opportunities for individuals with autism. We hope to receive 10,000 responses by Friday, August 9.

The survey is designed for individuals with autism ages 14 and older and their caregivers. The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. We would sincerely appreciate your participation in this important survey. Please be assured that the information that you provide will be confidential.

*Note: All who complete the full survey will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad!


Take the Survey!

I am a person with autism.
I am a caregiver of a person with autism.

Spanish Versions:
Yo soy una persona con autismo.
Soy un cuidador de una persona con autismo.

Click here to visit the survey homepage.

Resource from Amazon.com:

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Swimming Pool Safety Story

A social narrative about safety rules for the swimming pool. You can read this with your child before going to a swimming pool.

Available Formats: Microsoft Word (.doc) and Adobe PDF

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Social Narratives as an Evidence-Based Practice

According to the National Autism Center’s National Standards Report (2009), the “Story-based Intervention Package” (another name for social narratives or Social Stories) is considered an “Established” intervention method for children with autism age six to fourteen years. Of course, this doesn’t mean that social narratives aren’t effective with other ages, it just means that most of the research has been with children age six to fourteen. The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders lists social narratives as and evidence-based practice and the Association for Science in Autism Treatment states that, while more experimental research needs to be done, evidence does exist for the effectiveness of social narratives.

I hope this amount of research support gives you confidence in trying social narratives with your children or students. Of course, you’ll want to track progress on the goals that you use social narratives to address in order to make sure it is effective for each particular individual.

Selected Resource:

References:

Association for Science in Autism Treatment: Social Stories - http://www.asatonline.org/treatment/treatments/social.htm

National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders: Social Narratives - http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/social-narratives

The National Autism Center's National Standards Report (2009) - http://www.nationalautismcenter.org/nsp/

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

July Newsletter Topic: Social Narratives

Social Narratives, also called Social Stories™ or story-based interventions, are written descriptions of specific situations, and may feature pictures to accompany the written story. The goal of a social narrative is to provide social information in a manner that is easily understood, patient, and reassuring.

While social narratives are often used to improve behavior in situations that are difficult for a person with autism, the focus of a social narrative is not to change behavior. The goal is to provide social insight or information. It is hoped that, through an individual’s increased understanding of expectations, that behavior will improve.

This month, Positively Autism will feature information and examples of social narratives that you can use with your children, students, or clients.

References:

What Are Social Stories™? - http://www.thegraycenter.org/social-stories/what-are-social-stories

The National Autism Center's National Standards Report (2009) - http://www.nationalautismcenter.org/nsp/