Social Scripts

Whilst many people find they can `read' a social situation and react in a socially acceptable way, many people with Autism can struggle to come to terms with the social, communication and sensory demands of everyday occurances.  In a school context, these could include in a change of classroom, a supply teacher, a change of timetable due to a Christmas rehearsal or a wet playtime.

Outside of school, many parents report to me issues around going on holiday, accessing clubs and activities, using a different mode of transport or a change in family circumstances.  There are also situations involving sensory challenges, such as visiting a dentist, hairdresser or medical appointment.

A social script can help the child cope with these demands.  They contain four basic types of sentence:-

DESCRIPTIVE - this describes the situation in neutral language
PERSPECTIVE - this describes the feelings of an individual, either the child in question or someone involved with the situation
DIRECTIVE - this gives a guide on how to react or behave in that situation
AFFIRMATIVE - this gives encouragement as to why the directive wil be a positive action.

When writing a social script I always observe the following conventions:-

1.  The script is written WITH the child. There is no point writing a script to give to a child without listening to them and agreeing on relevant feelings and actions
2.  There is only one directive sentence, so the script does not become a list of instructions.
3.  Negative language is avoided, just neutral and positive perspectives.
4.  The word `try' is used in the directive.  Therefore if the child can not or does not implement the directive on any given occasion, then in their mind they have still tried to do so, and therefore have had some success in following the script.
5.  The script is worked through with the child BEFORE the situation to be encountered, not as a reactive tool when things have gone wrong.
6.  Over a period of time, reliance on the script is reduced.

The above protocols come from the best evidence-based practice in the area and have proved successful with dozens of young people I have worked with in education and home contexts.

The fee for an initial consultation, ice-breaking activity with the child, writing of the social script and follow-up review session is £100.