EducationCincinnati, Ohio A student with autism was asked what makes his teacher laugh. He responded, &dquo;Boy, I don't even know that. I guess I'll never know about that.&dquo; The social impairment associated with autism is reflected in his answer, as it is in the many behaviors associated with this complex disorder. To further understand the social behavior of persons with autism, researchers have focused on social cognition --the cognitive skills required for social interaction. This area of research has dismissed some longheld beliefs, while piecing together a new understanding of the social and behavioral challenges facing persons with autism.Social cognition research helps to explain the effectiveness of a new approach to teaching social behavior that centers around social stories. Social stories are short stories that describe social situations in terms of relevant social cues and often define appropriate responses. For some students with autism, social stories have been successful in improving their responses to social situations within a short period of time. After a brief review of literature providing a rationale and direction for writing social stories, this approach will be described in detail.