SOCIAL SKILLS
ing pro-social goals, and problem-solving. Although
challenges with social skills remain a persistent char-
acteristic of autism across a lifetime, there are a vari-
ety of evidence-based interventions that support the
development of these skills for school-age children.
Social Narratives
Comic Strip Conversations
This technique visually outlines a conversation
between two or more people. It integrates the
use of comic-strip type characters’ thought and
talking bubbles. Using this technique helps
learners better understand why someone did
or said something in a specific situation. The
outlined conversation may have taken place
in the past, is happening in the present, or will
happen in the future. This technique may be
used to support a learner who is struggling to
understand the relationship between actions
and consequences or reactions (i.e., thoughts
and words) to expected/unexpected behav-
iors. Consider using this technique to address
social situations such as interrupting, bullying,
and playing at recess.
6 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 74
This evidence-based practice uses interven-
tions that describe social situations by high-
lighting relevant cues and offering examples
of appropriate responses. These narratives are
individualized and written in the perspective
of the learner. They are short and may include
visual aids. Describing the thoughts and feel-
ings of other people involved in the situation
is an important feature of social narratives. The
learner may be taught to use social narratives
for real-life scenarios such as attending a birth-
day party, ordering food at a restaurant, and
following school rules.
Technology-Aided Instruction and
Intervention
This uses technology as a central feature of
intervention that supports the social goals or
outcomes for the learner. This evidence-based
practice consists of “any item/equipment/ap-
plication/ or virtual network that is used inten-