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Where I Am: Home | Interventions | List | Social Stories™

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Social Stories™

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Ranking :

Type(s) : Behavioural

Other Names :

• Social Articles™

Introduction

Social Stories™ are a tool for teaching social skills to children with autism. They provide an individual child with explanations about situations that he or she may find difficult or confusing.

Opinion

There is good evidence that Social Stories™ can be useful for some children with autism spectrum disorders in reducing unwanted behaviour and increasing some aspects of social interaction.

The approach requires individual tailoring for each particular child and should be supervised/overseen by an experienced clinician, although the programme can be run by teachers and/or parents.

Further information

Please see the Advanced version of this page for more information about this intervention, including relevant research studies and details of how we ranked them.

Disclaimer

Please read our Disclaimer about this intervention.

Audience

Social Stories™ were first developed for use with children with autistic spectrum disorders – such as autism and Asperger syndrome – but have also been used with adolescents and adults with a range of conditions.

Applicable Age Ranges

Aims

The aim of Social Stories™ is to increase a child’s understanding of specific social situations, to make him or her more comfortable in those situations, and possibly to suggest appropriate responses when in those situations.

Claims

There have been a number of claims for Social Stories™. These include claims that they are an effective way to

• teach children specific social skills, such as how to play with other children
• teach children how to make choices
• increase desired behaviours, such as length and frequency of social interactions
• decrease undesired behaviours, such as interruptions and tantrums
• improve the psychological well being of the child

Detail

The following social story is reproduced from the Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding website.

‘What is “Personal Space?”

‘ I have an area around my body that is called my “personal space.” This space is like an invisible bubble. Sometimes my personal space is large. When it is large, my personal space goes out to my fingertips. When my personal space is large, other people stay outside of it. When my personal space is large, I do not touch other people, and they do not touch me. This helps all of us to feel comfortable.’

Social Stories™ can take many forms. Some are written on single sheets of paper, others are written in booklets and some are recorded onto tape or video. The author of the story may read it to the individual with autism, record it so that it can be played back as required, or the individual may read it for himself.

For a story to be successful, it needs to be relevant, reassuring and easily understood. It is therefore usually written as a first-person, present-tense story which focuses on an issue of importance to the individual. It also needs to highlighting key points, such as important social cues, the things that might happen and why, and what the individual with autism might want to do about it.

Social Stories™ usually include three kinds of sentences:

• Descriptive sentences describe what people do in particular social situations. This enables the person with autism to understand what is happening in this particular situation and what the sometimes unwritten rules may be.
• Perspective sentences provide details about the emotions and thoughts of other people to a situation. This enables the person with autism to learn how others perceive various events.
• Directive sentences direct the person with autism to an appropriate desired response. They state, in positive terms, what the desired behaviour is.

Some Social Stories™ also use control sentences. These are written by the individual with autism as a way of remembering the story and remembering how to deal with the situation.

Gray suggests that for every one directive or control sentence, there should be two to five descriptive and/or perspective sentences.

Time

How often and how long the stories are used will depend on the needs of the individual with autism.

Depending on the time-frame of the intervention and the nature of the problem training with stories will have to be repeated across several occasions, sometimes more than a dozen, on a daily or weekly basis in order to effect change.

Involvement

The amount of time required by parents and professionals will depend on the needs of the individual with autism.

Costs

Since anybody can write a story the costs can be negligible. However it is possible to buy materials or to attend training courses on how to write the stories. The costs of these vary from supplier to supplier. There are also a number of websites which publish free materials.

Credentials

Anyone can write the stories, including parents, teachers and health care professionals. Parents should usually seek some professional advice when developing a Social Stories™ programme although many useful publications with examples are also available.

Availability

It is possible to buy materials or to attend training courses on how to write the stories from a variety of suppliers in the US and Europe.

Hazards

There are no known adverse effects from using Social Stories™.

Contraindications

There are no known contraindications.

History

Carol Gray, former consultant to students with autism spectrum disorders in the USA, developed Social Stories™ in 1991.

Trials

• Adams L. et al. (2004). Social story intervention: improving communication skills in a child with an autistic spectrum disorder. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 19(2), pp. 87-94. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Agosta E. et al. (2004). Teacher–researcher partnerships to improve social behavior through social stories. Intervention in School and Clinic. 39(5), pp. 276-287. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Barley L., Burlew S.(2004). Using social stories to teach choice and play skills to children with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 19(1), pp. 45-51. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Bledsoe R., Myles B.S., Simpson R.L.(2003). Use of a social story intervention to improve mealtime skills of an adolescent with Asperger syndrome. Autism. 7(3), pp. 289-295. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Brownell M.(2002). Musically adapted social stories to modify behaviors in students with autism: four case studies. Journal of Music Therapy. 39(2), pp.117-144. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Chalk M.(2003). Social stories for adults with autism and learning difficulties. Good Autism Practice. 4(2), pp. 3-7.
• Chan J.M., O’Reilly .M.F.(2008). A social stories intervention package for students with autism in inclusive classroom settings. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 41(3), pp. 405-409. Read Abstract (New Window) Read Full Item (New Window)
• Choi S.H., Nieminen T.A.(2008). Naturalistic intervention for Asperger syndrome – a case study. British Journal of Special Education. 35(2), pp. 85–91. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Crozier S., Tincani M.J.(2005). Using a modified social story to decrease disruptive behavior of a child with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 20(3), pp. 150-157. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Delano M.E., Snell M.E.(2006). The effects of social stories on the social engagement of children with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. 8(1), pp. 29-42. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Erangey G.(2001). Using social stories as a parent of a child with an ASD. Good Autism Practice. 2(1), pp. 26-28.
• Hagiwara T., Myles B.S.(1999). A multimedia social story intervention: teaching skills to children with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 14(2), pp. 82-95. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Hutchins T.L., Prelock P.A.(2006). Using social stories and comic strip conversations to promote socially valid outcomes for children with autism. Seminars in Speech and Language. 27(1), pp.47-59. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Iven .M., Heflin L.J., Alberto P.A.(2004). The use of social stories to promote independent behaviors in novel events for children with PDD-NOS. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 19(3), pp.164-176. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Kuoch; H., Mirenda P.(2003). Social story interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 18(4), pp. 219-227. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Kuttler S., Myles B.S., Carlson J.K.(1998). The use of social stories to reduce precursors to tantrum behavior in a student with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 13(3), pp. 176-182. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Lorimer P.A. et al. (2002). The use of social stories as a preventative behavioral intervention in a home setting with a child with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. 4(1), pp. 53-60. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Mancil G.R., Haydon T.F., Whitby P.S.(Epub ahead of print). Differentiated effects of paper and computer-assisted social storiesTM on inappropriate behavior in children with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Moore P.(2004). The use of social stories in a psychological service for children with learning disabilities: a case study of a sleep problem. British Journal of Learning Disabilities. 32(3), pp. 133-138. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Norris C., Dattilo J.(1999). Evaluating effects of a social story of intervention on a young girl with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 14(3), pp. 180-186. Read Abstract (New Window)
• O’Connor E.(2009). The use of Social Story DVDs to reduce anxiety levels: a case study of a child with autism and learning disabilities. Support for Learning. 24(3), pp. 133-136. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Ozdemir S.(2008). The effectiveness of social stories on decreasing disruptive behaviors of children with autism: Three case studies. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 38(9), pp. 1689-1696. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Quirmbach .L. et al. (2009). Social stories: Mechanisms of effectiveness in increasing game play skills in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder using a pretest posttest repeated measures randomized control group design. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Reichow B., Sabornie E.J.(Epub ahead of print). Brief report: Increasing verbal greeting initiations for a student with autism via a social story intervention. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Reynhout G., Carter M.(2007). Social Story™ efficacy with a child with autism spectrum disorder and moderate intellectual disability. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 22(3), pp.173-182. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Rogers M., Myles B.S.(2001). Using social stories and comic strip conversations to interpret social situations for an adolescent with Asperger syndrome. Intervention in School and Clinic. 38(5), pp. 310-313.
• Rowe C.(1999). Do social stories benefit children with autism in mainstream primary schools? British Journal of Special Education. 26(1), pp. 12-14. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Sansosti F.J., Powell-Smith K.A.(2006). Using social stories to improve the social behaviour of children with Asperger Syndrome. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. 8(1), pp. 43-57. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Sansosti F.J., Powell-Smith K.A.(2008). Using computer-presented social stories and video models to increase the social communication skills of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. 10(3), pp. 162-178. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Scattone D. et al. (2002). Decreasing disruptive behaviors of children with autism using social stories. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 32(6), pp. 535-543. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Scattone D., Tingstrom D.H., Wilczynski S.M.(2006). Increasing appropriate social interactions of children with autism spectrum disorders using social stories. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 21(4), pp. 211-222. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Scattone D.(2008). Enhancing the conversation skills of a boy with Asperger’s disorder through social stories and video modeling. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 38(2), pp. 395-400. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Schneider N., Goldstein H.(Epub ahead of print). Using social stories and visual schedules to improve socially appropriate behaviors in children with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Schneider N., Goldstein H.(2009). Social storiesTM improve the on-task behavior of children with language impairment. Journal of Early Intervention. 31(2), pp. 250-264. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Smith C.(2001). Using social stories to enhance behaviour in children with autistic spectrum difficulties. Educational Psychology in Practice. 17(4), pp. 337-345. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Spencer V.G., Simpson C.G., Lynch S.A.(2008). Using social stories to increase positive behaviors for children with autism spectrum disorders. Intervention in School and Clinic. 44(1), pp. 58-61. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Swaggart B.L.(1995). Using social stories to teach social and behaviour skills to children with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. 10(1), pp. 1-16. Read Abstract (New Window)
• Thiemann K.S., Goldstein H.(2001). Social stories, written text cues, and video feedback: effects on social communication of children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 34(4), pp. 425-446. Read Abstract (New Window) Read Full Item (New Window)
• Thorne A.(2005). Using an interactive whiteboard to present social stories to a group of children with autistic spectrum disorders. Good Autism Practice. 6(2), pp. 3-18.

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