Читать книгу The Social Skills Picture Book - Jed Baker - Страница 15

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The benefits of visual aids to facilitate greater understanding and comprehension among autistic students have been well

documented (e.g., Quill, 1995). Even most students without disabilities benefit from visual aids that back up a verbal explanation.

This is because visual pictures can (a) make abstract verbal concepts more concrete, (b) remain stable over time whereas auditory

information can be missed as students’ attention fluctuates, and (c) provide a more powerful means to engage attention.

The Social Skills Picture Books use a primarily visual strategy to teach social skills. Although the picture books may benefit

“typical” students, they will be particularly helpful for those with auditory/language processing difficulties, difficulties in abstract

thinking, and for those with difficulties sustaining attention. This includes individuals on the autistic spectrum, those with Attention

Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders, and individuals with learning disabilities.

When it comes to teaching social skills, pictures present another advantage over traditional verbal explanations. Pictures

allow one to depict and highlight the nonverbal social cues that many individuals on the spectrum may not intuitively understand.

For example, facial expressions, gestures, eye-contact, and body posture that correspond to different feelings and attitudes can be

presented visually in a way that verbal explanation cannot convey. As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”