60 Social Situations and Discussion Starters to Help Teens on the Autism Spectrum Deal with Friendships, Feelings, Conflict and More: Seeing the Big Picture

Teenagers and older children on the autism spectrum are, like everyone else, surrounded by complex social codes and rules that govern everyday interaction, but have much more difficulty in interpreting them. Reading cues such as sarcasm, idioms and body language often presents an impossible challenge, but this book of realistic and thought-provoking stories provides much needed help. Written with both parent and teen in mind, every story outlines a real-life situation that young people on the autism spectrum are likely to encounter. Each story is followed by questions such as ‘what else might he have done?’, ‘how do you think she felt?’ and ‘why do you think they were upset?’ along with practical tips for parents on how to initiate constructive discussions. As teens consider these questions with adults, they will begin to be able to put themselves into someone else’s shoes and think about how their actions and behaviour may affect those around them. This process will equip them to transfer this invaluable understanding and confidence to other everyday life situations. Packed with 60 stories exploring real-life situations, this book will be an essential tool for parents, caregivers, teachers, and anyone else wishing to enable young people on the autism spectrum to acquire great social skills.