| Children with autism find play skills and social | | | | play talk. |
| interaction with peers extremely difficult. | | | | Children with autism tend to be very literal, |
| This is due to their social skills deficits, which are | | | | making pretend or imaginative play difficult for |
| common to all individuals with ASD (Autism | | | | them to join in with or understand. |
| Spectrum Disorder), the degree of social skills | | | | However there are techniques available that help |
| deficits will depend on each individual, no two | | | | build and promote play skills in children with autism. |
| children will ever be the same. | | | | One such technique is the use of social skills |
| A child with autism will undoubtedly have social | | | | stories these can be adapted to suit individual's |
| skills deficits in three main areas of development, | | | | needs, can be printed and used almost |
| social interactions, communication both verbal and | | | | everywhere making them ideal in the home, |
| nonverbal and imagination skills. | | | | school and out and about. |
| Because of the child's rigidity of thought and | | | | Consequently teaching an autistic child play skills |
| behaviour, and limited imagination or imaginative | | | | can be initiated using social skills stories as a |
| play skills, the child with autism may carry out | | | | means of showing the child with ASD how and |
| ritualistic actions. For example lining up their Lego | | | | why we play. By answering the "wh" questions: |
| or sorting it into colours rather than playing with it. | | | | who, where, why, when and what as well as |
| A child with autism may focus upon minor details, | | | | giving an insight into the thoughts, feelings and |
| for example rather than play with the toy car | | | | emotions of others. The social skills story acts like |
| they may be obsessed with the wheel only and | | | | a role model or visual plan when teaching an |
| continuously spin it, rather than play with the | | | | autistic child play skills by detailing the skill and |
| whole car. | | | | breaking it down into small pieces. |
| Plus with limited verbal and non-verbal | | | | Using visual images and first person text the social |
| communication skills the child with ASD (Autism | | | | skills story can help the child with ASD better |
| Spectrum Disorder) will lack the ability to | | | | understand the skill or behaviour, therefore |
| converse naturally and may misunderstand the | | | | making them more comfortable with and in the |
| emotions, gestures, or ideas of others, and have | | | | situation, reducing stress and un-necessary |
| difficulties understanding wit, humour and pretend | | | | anxiety. |