Using visuals and social stories

Research has proven the many benefits of visual supports for individuals with autism, particularly where language, attention, or memory may be challenging.

Both visual supports and social stories can assist with communication and giving verbal instructions, improving learning, social interactions, and behaviour management. This makes them particularly beneficial in the school environment. As they are designed to be simple and portable, they can be created by families, teachers, support staff or professionals supporting an autistic student. Learn more about what these resources are and how best to use them as an educator.

Visual supports

Visual supports are tools for immediate problem-solving and help with skill development. They promote independence and emotional regulation, improve communication and social skills, and support learning and executive functioning. Visual supports can be categorised based on what they are used for and how complex they are. They come in many forms, each serving different purposes and catering to different needs:

• Single pictures: These can represent an action, place, emotion or activity (e.g., a playground picture to communicate that it is playtime).
• Step-by-step sequences: For tasks that involve multiple steps, a series of pictures can be used to break down the task into manageable parts (e.g., steps to get ready to play outside).
• Timetables and schedules: Daily or weekly schedules help outline the day's activities or routines, reducing anxiety about the unknown and supporting transitions between tasks.
• Choice boards: They offer visual options from which a person can choose, supporting decision-making and giving a student a sense of control.
• Transition supports: These help individuals move from one activity or location to another, reducing stress and behavioural issues.
• Rule boards: These provide clear guidelines about appropriate behaviours in certain places or at certain events, supporting positive behaviour.

How to create your own visual supports

1. Identify the need: Determine what concepts or routines the visual supports will communicate. This could range from what activities are happening in the day to daily living skills such as washing your hands.
2. Choose the format: Decide if you need a single-item visual or a more complex multi-item format like a booklet. Make sure that the format is accessible to the child and doesn’t make the resource too long or confusing.
3. Select appropriate images: Select relevant images that the child will easily understand. You can take your own photos, use online image libraries, or create drawings.
4. Add text prompts: Where necessary, add simple text prompts to guide other users, like teachers or family members on how to use the resource.
5. Review and adapt regularly: As the child’s needs and understanding change, you’ll need to adjust their visual support so they remain relevant and effective.
6. Work with professionals (where possible): It may be helpful to collaborate with professionals supporting the child, such as speech pathologists, who can offer expert guidance on the most effective visual communication strategies to suit the student’s unique needs. 
   

Consider the points below to determine whether the resource you’re creating is effective:

• ‍Clarity: The visuals should clearly represent the information or task. Avoid complex images with lots of detail, as these can confuse a student. ‍
• Consistency: Use consistent symbols, colours, fonts and formats to help the individual recognise and understand the visuals. ‍
• Simplicity: Pair visuals with simple, consistent language. ‍
• Portability: Visual supports may need to be portable depending on where they will be used. Consider laminating paper resources and creating copies in case they are lost or damaged so the student isn’t without their resource for long.

When introducing visual supports, give the child lots of time to learn how to use them. They shouldn’t be expected to use the resource independently for quite a while. Ensure every staff member that is assisting the child with learning to use the visual support (e.g., learning support teachers) approaches this in the same way, as an inconsistent approach can be very confusing and upsetting for an autistic child.

The effectiveness of visual supports should be assessed regularly. If a student does not seem to benefit from the resource, educators might need to modify the symbols used, simplify the images, or adjust the words. The resource might need to be explained to the student again, particularly if they weren’t given enough time to familiarise themselves with it in the first place.

Social stories

Social stories are educational tools designed to help individuals with autism understand and respond appropriately in social contexts. Developed by Carol Gray in the early 1990s, social stories have become a very popular resource for supporting autistic people, providing structured and easy-to-understand information that can be tailored to an individual’s unique needs and interests. 

Social stories are short and descriptive. They should provide concise information about social interactions, behaviours, and expectations that is fun and easy to understand. They are not fictional stories with a moral or lesson; they are created to educate children about how to navigate social situations. Social stories should combine straightforward visuals and simple text to avoid confusing the user. 

Using social stories in school and at home has many benefits. They help individuals with autism learn about social interactions through real-life examples, making the process less confusing or overwhelming and leading to more appropriate behaviour. These stories often help individuals with autism to understand their own emotions and the emotions and perspectives of others, creating compassion.

Social stories can be particularly beneficial in preparing for situations that are challenging or stressful for the child. For example, changes in routine, such as introducing a new teacher, or potentially overwhelming experiences like going on an excursion to a new place, can be explained to the child in advance with a tailored social story. They can also be used to reinforce new skills or to celebrate accomplishments, boosting the child’s confidence and desire to participate.

How to create your own social story

Social stories are written from a first-person perspective and discuss social cues and expectations in a way that encourages a child to apply the information in real life. They can discuss various social situations, from everyday interactions like going to a shopping centre to special events such as visiting the zoo or going on a plane. 

Use the guide below to help you get started in creating a social story:

1. Identify the purpose: Decide why the social story is being created. This could be to teach a particular social skill, explain a complex task or routine or navigate a challenging situation.
2. Gather information: List what information the social story needs to include and how it can be communicated to address the student’s specific needs, interests and preferences.
3. Create with clarity: Write the story using plain language and simple visual elements. Make sure that the content is appropriate for the individual's cognitive and developmental level.
4. Review and revise: Review the social story with the student’s family, educators, or therapists where applicable before introducing it to the student. 
5. Invest time to use it: Introduce the social story at a time when the student is calm and engaged. Allow the student plenty of time to familiarise themselves with the story. Don’t expect that they will understand it straight away; it will need to be used several times and revisited frequently so the student does not forget how to use it.

Use the criteria below to review how effective a social story is:

Descriptive, perspective, and directive sentences

Social stories typically include a mix of sentences that describe the situation and explain appropriate responses (for example, not speaking during a presentation at a school assembly).‍

Clarity

‍Illustrations should be used frequently in social stories to explain the social cues and appropriate responses, making tricky social skills or situations easier to understand. Many autistic people are visual learners, so having simple and engaging illustrations to explain important concepts is necessary.

Positive tone

The tone of a social story is affirming and encouraging. They focus on positive outcomes and behaviours (what an individual should do) rather than potential failures or negative outcomes (what an individual shouldn’t do or would suffer embarrassment or judgement from doing).