To back up my thread on "door handles etc" I need to broach another aspect of the problem - eye contact - what do you do if it doesn't work properly?
But first, a digression on "Social Stories". This psychologist tool has been around for twenty two years, and despite the fact that there seems little statistical evidence that it works, it has become the invariable prop of people supposedly trying to help us.
I've met young adults petrified to ask for help because instead of getting help, the potty person they have to go and see gets out the big plastic folder with all those story lines you can practically memorise, and boringly works through the stories to see if they help analyse a vaguely similar problem. It seems that NTs think all they need to do to help is remind us we are not following what other people are thinking. WOW
Although I'm at the able end of Aspergers, eye contact is a real nightmare - and no doubt most people can tell similar stories, though I know some people say they can do it. As a teenager I averted my eyes a lot, but through constant reminders to "pay attention", "look at me when I'm speaking to you!", "stop looking at your tie all the time" - I eventually arrived at some sort of compromise - I look at people's mouths.
It's useless - it really is. I cannot lip read and its often distrracting and off-putting, but it gets me out of the "you're not paying attention dilemma"because, it seems, NTs cannot tell that I'm not looking at their whole faces or their eyes.
Since diagnosis I've tried to do eye contact more effectively but it really doesn't help, and if I'm stressed or tired my eyes just go all over the place, making things worse.
The point of all this is - I'm not reading faces properly. I cannot read eyes properly - I cannot register if someone's eyes are cast up, down, left, right or dilated. I miss a lot of facial expressions. And I know my eyes and facial expression are not helping. So what would be the point of me going through a folder of Social Stories situations?
Great - remind me I've got a disability. Remind me that it is something I cannot do. But otherwise what is the point of Social Stories (other than a crutch for unimaginative health workers)?
Besides direction of eyes and dilation, the eyes convey agreement or dissent. They substitute for physically nodding. Someone on the spectrum could be better guided to make more use of nodding left-right or up-down to convey no and yes - NTs understand this.
If people on the spectrum cannot use facial expression properly, why not teach them to punctuate sentences with the information - "I'm joking", I'm being serious here", I'm being sarcastic of course" - NTs will understand this and may be able to help someone on the spectrum by adding such asides into their own conversation.
But why any serious scientist, given the lack of statistical evidence for success, should think Social Stories helps people on the spectrum...... I despair.
But please, some views on this...... I'm always concerned my able-end perspective is not representative.