Social stories are an example of a unique and effective approach to helping children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) understand the often confusing rules and expectations of everyday life. Developed in 1991 by Carol Gray, a teacher with extensive experience working with children with autism, social stories provide clear, concise and meaningful explanations of social situations with other children, assisting children with ASD to navigate their world more effectively.
What are Social Stories for autism?
Essentially, social stories are short narratives written in a specific style and format that describe a situation, skill, play, idea or concept in terms of relevant social cues, body language, perspectives, and common responses. They are simple and practical tools that parents, educators, and therapists can use to help children with autism understand and respond appropriately to social situations they may find challenging.
The History and Development of Social Stories
Social stories were introduced to the world by Carol Gray in the early 1990s as a means to support the social understanding of children with autism. The concept emerged from Gray's recognition of the unique challenges faced by these children in decoding social interactions and information. She observed that while many learning strategies were available, there was a lack of direct instruction that presented social information from the child's perspective in a structured and reassuring manner. Gray's innovative approach quickly gained popularity as it employed a narrative structure that was both familiar and comforting to children with developmental disorders. Since then, the use of social stories has expanded globally and the ideas have evolved through research and practice to include a range of formats and multimedia elements, each aimed at further enhancing social comprehension among individuals with ASD.
The Power of Social Stories
Social stories are powerful because they address one of the main challenges for children and young people with with autism: understanding and responding appropriately to social situations. By breaking down complex social interactions into understandable steps, social stories can help children with autism to:
- Understand social norms and expectations: Social stories can explain why people behave in certain ways in specific situations, helping children with autism to understand social norms and expectations.
- Learn new skills: Social stories can also be used to teach new skills, such as how to ask for help, how to take turns in a game, or how to react when they are upset.
- Reduce anxiety: By providing clear, predictable information about a potentially stressful situation, social stories can help reduce anxiety and increase comfort levels for children with autism.
- Promote independence: With the help of social stories, children with autism can learn to handle various situations independently, promoting their self-confidence and autonomy.
- Enhance communication and social skills: Social stories can bridge the gap between abstract social concepts and the concrete understanding of children with autism, aiding in their ability to communicate more effectively with others.
- Facilitate inclusion: By equipping children with the knowledge of how to act in various social settings, social stories can make it easier for them to participate in inclusive environments such as schools, community groups, and public events.
- Support emotional regulation: Social stories often include examples of how to manage emotional responses, which can help children with ASD to regulate their emotions in social contexts more effectively.
- Customizable to individual needs: Social stories can be personalized to address the specific challenges and experiences of each child, making them a versatile tool for a wide range of situations and individuals on the autism spectrum.
Parts of A Social Story
Creating an effective social story involves several key components that ensure it is comprehensible, relevant, and useful to the child or person with autism. The main parts of a social story include:
- Title: This should capture the essence of the story, letting the child know what social situation or skill will be addressed.
- Introduction: Here, the context is set for the scenario or social concept the story will discuss.
- Body: The main content of the social story, which details the situation, the expected social cues, and the appropriate responses. It often includes perspectives of different people involved.
- Conclusion: This summarizes the social story and sometimes offers an affirmative message, reinforcing the desired outcome or skill that the child can expect to achieve.
- Visuals: Often, social stories are accompanied by illustrations or photographs that help to visualize and reinforce the written content, making it more accessible for visual learners.
- Sensory Descriptions: Including descriptive language relating to the five senses can help children with ASD to better understand and prepare for the sensory aspects of a social situation.
- Dialogue: Actual or hypothetical dialogue may be used to demonstrate interactions and model language use in a social context.
Each of these components works in harmony to deliver a structured, predictable guide for children with autism to navigate complex social terrains with greater ease and confidence.
Example of a Social Story: Going To The Dentist
Title: My Visit to the Dentist
Introduction: Sometimes, we need to visit the dentist to make sure our teeth are healthy. On Thursday, I am going to visit the dentist.
Body: When we arrive at the dentist's office, we will wait in the waiting area until they call my name. It's okay to feel a little nervous, but the dentist is a friend who helps us keep our teeth strong and healthy. The dental assistant will show me to a big chair that goes up and down. The dentist will wear a mask and gloves to keep everything clean. They will use a small mirror and a light to look at my teeth. They may clean my teeth with a special brush and give me a new toothbrush to take home. It's important to sit still and keep my mouth open so the dentist can do their job.
Dialogue: Dentist: "Hello! I'm going to check your teeth today. You're doing great!" Me: "Thank you. I've been brushing my teeth every day."
Sensory Descriptions: The chair will feel like a big pillow. I might hear the sound of the cleaning tool, which sounds like a little whistle. The light might be bright, but I can close my eyes or wear sunglasses.
Visuals: [Picture of a friendly dentist], [Illustration of a dental chair], [A child sitting in the dental chair, smiling]
Conclusion: After the visit, my teeth will feel clean, and I will know that I am taking good care of my teeth. The dentist is proud of me for being brave and for taking good care of my teeth.
Affirmative Message: Going to the dentist helps me keep my teeth healthy. I can do this!
Creating Effective Social Stories
Creating effective social stories requires a deep understanding of the child's needs, interests, and abilities. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when writing social stories:
- Keep it simple and clear: The language should be simple, concrete, and easy to understand. Avoid metaphors or abstract concepts that could confuse the child.
- Use visuals: Since many children with autism are visual learners, including pictures or drawings can make the story more engaging and easier to understand.
- Make it relevant: The story should be about a situation that is relevant to the child's life and experiences.
- Involve the child: If possible, involve the child in the creation of the story. This can help make the story more meaningful and engaging for them.
- Use first-person perspective: Writing from the child's point of view can help them relate to and internalize the information better.
- Focus on key details: Keep the story simple and include only the essential information. Too many details can be overwhelming for children with autism.
- Keep it positive: Use positive and supportive language to encourage desired behaviors and responses.
In conclusion, research shows that social stories can be a highly effective tool in helping children with autism spectrum disorder navigate the complexities of social interaction, especially during Autism Acceptance Month. They offer a simple, understandable, and practical way to explain social norms, teach new skills, reduce anxiety, and promote independence. With patience, creativity, and a deep understanding of the child's needs, parents, educators, and therapists can create social stories that make a real difference in the lives of children with autism, fostering inclusivity and understanding throughout this important month and beyond.
