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What are Social Scripts?
Social scripts are a valuable resource for people with PWS, and are used to explain common social situations in a suitable way that sets clear rules and expectations. As an educational tool, social scripts are especially useful in introducing individuals with PWS to new activities, locations, and changes in their daily life such as access to food, loud noises, and crowds.
People with PWS have very unique needs that impact their wellbeing. As a result, experts who work in PWS have endorsed internationally recognised practices that are designed to meet these specific needs in order to keep a person living with PWS happy and healthy.
Using Interaction’s Social Scripts
Our social scripts provide the words, phrases or questions that can be used to communicate to someone with PWS in a specific situation. In addition to increasing a person’s effective communication skills, our social scripts provide preventative strategies to educate direct care staff, professionals, families, and the community.
The aim of our social scripts is to provide more choice and control to people with PWS. By using our social scripts, people with PWS can foresee and process potentially triggering situations that may challenge their innate drives.
Customising Interaction’s Social Scripts
We appreciate that everyone is unique, and certain approaches and specific needs differ greatly. Therefore, our social scripts have been developed to provide support and guidance on common social situations and can be downloaded as a word document to be adapted to suit your individual needs.
Skin Routine
Skin picking is common behaviour for someone with PWS. Learning to develop a consistent skin routine is an effective strategy that can minimise the impacts and frequency of skin picking associated with PWS.
Dental Routine
Having a consistent dental routine is especially important for people with PWS. This is because inadequate saliva and high acidity levels are both present in those with PWS.
Feeling Angry
Anger management is a common challenge for people with PWS and there a certain triggers that make anger outbursts more likely. A social script can be effective in communicating healthy anger management for people with PWS.
Going to a Party
Socialising in large groups can be a potential trigger for someone with PWS due to the large presence of food. Learning to manage expectations, and having a clear and direct conversation before the event, can help to minimise any possible issues.
Going to the Doctor
Keeping on top of wellbeing and psychical health is especially important for people living with PWS. Visits to different health professionals may be a part of a routine, and may require regular communications.
Grocery Shopping
Learning to make healthy food choices is essential for someone living with PWS. Maintaining portion control and managing trigger whiles shopping can be a challenge, however, social scripts provide a method for preempting these issues and communicating in an effective way.
Starting School
Starting school is a big change in routine, which can cause significant disruption for someone with PWS. Preventative measures for managing distress include clear and consistent communication, which can be achieved through the use of social scripts.
Swimming
Exercise is a vital part of managing the symptoms of PWS. Swimming is an effective form of physical exercise, however it involves specific challenges related to PWS and the prevalence of skin concerns. Learn how to communicate the need for exercise and managing skin sores via our social script.
Using Sleep Machines
Sleep apnoea is a common symptom of PWS that can be managed using CPAP machines. This requires consistent use, and learning to communicate the importance of maintain a sleep routine is important when living or working with someone who has PWS.
Gatherings and Social Events
Use this guide to help people with PWS feel comfortable when attending social gatherings and events.
Download our Gatherings and Social Events Social Script here.
One Page Profile
Use this social script to build and communicate a personal profile.
Download the One Page Profile here.
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