Social Stories and Movies

Using social stories and movies can help in teaching social situations and feelings. When you have a child who is a literal thinker, they don't view situations the same way as others. For example if someone tells them to say or do something they don't view it as something they did or said. They may argue that they didn't say it, the other person did. They may not realize the guilt by association rule. Using Social Stories or movies can visually show them incidents they may not be able to process verbally. It can also aid in teaching empathy and feelings. Many times my child understands when she is being mistreated but not that others have feelings. This is where those old Brady Bunch episodes come in handy. Marcia always has some friendship dilemma and Jan has run through every emotion. It has been said that repetition is key to obtaining these skills. Although we experience new situations that we may not have been prepared for, we are EXPERIENCING NEW SITUATIONS. After all, life is about learning and growing. We climb hills, stumble and find a new route to the top.