Social Stories are a tool for teaching social skills to children with autism and related disabilities. Social stories provide an individual with accurate information about those situations that he may find difficult or confusing. The situation is described in detail and focus is given to a few key points: the important social cues, the events and reactions the individual might expect to occur in the situation, the actions and reactions that might be expected of him, and why. The goal of the story is to increase the individual’s understanding of, make him more comfortable in, and possibly suggest some appropriate responses for the situation in question.
Effects of Social Stories on Prosocial Behavior of Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Organisation
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Author
Crozier, S.; Tincani, M
Detailed Description
Social Stories™ are a popular intervention for preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but little research on Social Stories has been conducted with this population. This study investigated the effects of Social Stories on prosocial behavior of three preschool children with ASD in an inclusive setting. An ABAB design was used for two participants, while an ABACBC was used for the third. Social Stories increased appropriate behavior and decreased inappropriate behavior for two participants. The addition of verbal prompts (condition C) was necessary to increase appropriate behavior for the third participant. Maintenance probes were conducted to assess whether stories became imbedded in classroom routines. Results are discussed in relation to applications, study limitations, and areas for future research.
Encouraging positive behavior with social stories: an intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders
Organisation
Teaching Exceptional Children
Author
Crozier, S and Sileo, N.M
Detailed Description
A social story is one type of proactive behavior intervention that was developed for use with students with autism and extended for use with students with ASD. A social story is a short simple story written from the perspective of the student that provides instruction on positive, appropriate social behaviors (Gray & Garand, 1993). Positive behaviors include all behaviors that increase an individual's likelihood of success and satisfaction in school, work, community, recreational activities, and social and family life (Carr et al., 2002). Students with ASD tend to be strong visual learners (Quill, 1995). Concomitantly these students often have difficulty with social interaction (Quill).
Dept. of Psychology, Willamette University, Salem, Oregon
Author
Edelson, M.G.
Detailed Description
Many persons with autism have deficits in social cognition, the ability to think in ways necessary for appropriate social interaction. For example, theory of mind describes the difficulty autistic individuals have in assuming the perspective of another person. This can be addressed by a technique which is used to help individuals with autism 'read' and understand social situations. This technique, called 'Social Stories,' presents appropriate social behaviors in the form of a story. It was developed by Carol Gray and seeks to include answers to questions that autistic persons may need to know to interact appropriately with others (for example, answers to who, what, when, where, and why in social situations).
