Social Stories

Potentially your son could be about to go into the world of work, though he may be continuing education beyond 16. He cannot take a social stories folder with him into the workplace.

Fitting in in the workplace is one of the major barriers to people on the spectrum getting long term employment. The "social" interface in the workplace is where he may find the most obstacles, as even if his disability is explained to staff, some of them will find ways and means of ridiculing or undermining him out of sight of management. This either leads to constructive dismissal where the AS individual withdraws because he cannot cope, or direct dismissal because he appears unable to cope, and management cannot see what is really going on. It is hard enough for teachers to spot bullying, even of disabled pupils, so how is it detectable in the workplace? 

Surely by 16 we have something better to offer than social stories. I agree with their role in pre-teens and for individuals still having major difficulty in teens. But social stories deal with direct overt non-verbal communication. By 16 and certainly by adulthood, deviousness and manipulation, which are everyday experiences for NTs cannot possibly be anticipated using social stories.

I do wonder at times who are the disabled... those on the spectrum or the NT professionals supposed to be helping them.

Potentially your son could be about to go into the world of work, though he may be continuing education beyond 16. He cannot take a social stories folder with him into the workplace.

Fitting in in the workplace is one of the major barriers to people on the spectrum getting long term employment. The "social" interface in the workplace is where he may find the most obstacles, as even if his disability is explained to staff, some of them will find ways and means of ridiculing or undermining him out of sight of management. This either leads to constructive dismissal where the AS individual withdraws because he cannot cope, or direct dismissal because he appears unable to cope, and management cannot see what is really going on. It is hard enough for teachers to spot bullying, even of disabled pupils, so how is it detectable in the workplace? 

Surely by 16 we have something better to offer than social stories. I agree with their role in pre-teens and for individuals still having major difficulty in teens. But social stories deal with direct overt non-verbal communication. By 16 and certainly by adulthood, deviousness and manipulation, which are everyday experiences for NTs cannot possibly be anticipated using social stories.

I do wonder at times who are the disabled... those on the spectrum or the NT professionals supposed to be helping them.