Power Cards

When your child with autism faces a difficult situation at home or at school, help him call on, for example, his favourite superhero, if he has one, to come to the rescue (by telling him what to say or do in that situation). That is the premise of power cards, a tool to help children on the autism spectrum, overcome certain social difficulties. These cards are based on special interests of the child and are designed, much like a social story, to address a specific sitaution. That particular card would consist of a specific scenario in which the superhero would be the main character encountering a situation. The card would have relevant visuals such as photos or art to help illustrate the scenario further.
The power card is usually written in first person from the perspective of the hero or child's special interest and in present tense. The material used is a 3X5" card. Important factor is to practice the content of the power card as frequently as you can with your child, much like the social story exercise, until the child can read the message independently and it eventually is ingrained in him/her.
It is important, experts say, to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the tool for each child to determine how long to have it in place. Depending on the child's changing needs, the support can be faded over a period of time.
All I can say at this time is that I've heard parents who have used this tool say that they have found power cards to be of great use and as helpful as social storis. So, maybe give it a try? It's easy to do and may prove to be an effective tool to support your child in social situations.