Supporting Social Understanding

Supporting social understanding in the Early Years is most effective when grounded in a person-centred, strengths-based and relational approach. Children develop social insight and connection best when their
communication style, sensory needs, interests and developmental pathways are recognised and respected. Social learning should never aim to make a child appear more neurotypical; instead, it should help them feel understood, safe and confident as themselves.

The Autism Education Trust highlights a range of approaches that can support young children’s social understanding. These strategies can be reframed neuro-affirmatively as follows:

Social Visual Guides (Neuroaffirmative Alternative to Traditional Social Stories™)

Traditional Social Stories™ have historically been used to prepare children for experiences and routines. However, many such resources have been implemented in directive or compliance-focused ways that encourage children to behave in “expected” or neurotypical ways. This is not
neuroaffirmative.

There is a growing professional shift toward Social Visual Guides, which prioritise emotional safety, autonomy, predictability and shared understanding rather than behaviour correction. Flourish Autism
Consultancy’s Social Visual Guides exemplify this approach. These guides:
• explain situations neutrally, without prescribing behaviour
• offer reassurance and predictable information
• validate sensory and emotional experiences
• support agency, choice and self-advocacy
• avoid instructing the child how they “should” behave

Social Stories™ still have a place when written with fidelity to Carol Gray’s updated guidance, meaning they are descriptive, non-judgemental and never used to direct behaviour. They should not be written or used as tools for compliance, normalisation or behaviour managemen

Comic Strip Conversations
Comic strip conversations can support children to explore social interactions through visual storytelling. When used neuroaffirmatively, they help the child make sense of their own thoughts, feelings and
interpretations, rather than teaching them how they “should” think or act.
These tools must be collaborative, reflective and child-led, avoiding any focus on correcting social behaviour.

Consistent, Attuned Adults
Children benefit from having one or more adults who can offer relational safety, co-regulation and predictable support. Named adults should be available not as managers of behaviour, but as trusted partners who help the child navigate sensory, emotional and relational experiences

Listening to the Child’s Voice
Children’s views, feelings and preferences should meaningfully inform their learning environment. This includes honouring nonspeaking communication, AAC, echolalia, gesture, movement and gestalt language processing as valid forms of expression. Children should be invited to shape their own provision, at a pace and method that aligns with their communication profile.

Supporting Autonomy During Unstructured Times
Unstructured periods may feel overwhelming for some children. Support should aim to increase predictability and comfort rather than direct them toward particular social behaviours. Offering choices aligned with their interests, such as bringing a book, sensory item or preferred object, can provide a safe and regulated way to participate.

Proactive Regulation Supports
Staff should understand each child’s sensory and emotional needs and respond proactively, not reactively. Neuro-affirmative regulation supports may include:
• co-regulation with an attuned adult
• sensory items chosen by the child
• visual supports
• predictable routines
• access to quiet or low-demand spaces

Tools like the 5-Point Scale should only be used if they support self-understanding and emotional literacy rather than monitoring or managing
behaviour.

Working with Families
Families should be supported to understand and celebrate their child’s neurodivergence. This includes offering access to neuro-affirmative resources, Autistic-led writings, books, community supports and training that validate their child’s identity rather than framing differences as deficits.