Social Stories

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Social Stories
Developed by Carol Gray
By Tammy Hudlin D.17, Resource Teacher for Autism
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• Many people with autism struggle with the ability
  to think in ways necessary for appropriate social
  interaction.
• Social stories are a technique that can be used
  to help individuals with autism read and
  understand social situations.

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What is a Social Story?

• A short story that is written according to
  specific guidelines. They describe a situation,
  concept or social skill and teach the child
  socially acceptable behaviours.
• They require the consideration of the
  perspective of the person with autism the story
  is written in the first person (I).

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Purpose

• To facilitate the inclusion of students in
  regular classrooms
• To introduce change and new routines
• To explain reasons for the behaviours of others
• To teach situation-specific social skills
• To assist in teaching new academic skills

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• Social stories are written in response to a
  troubling situation, in an effort to provide a
  person with autism with social information.
• Gather information to answer these questions
• Where does the situation occur?
• Who is involved?
• What occurs?
• Why is this happening?
• How long does it last?

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Types of Sentences(used in social stories)

• Descriptive
• Directive
• Perspective
• Control
• There should be 2-5 descriptive/perspective
  sentences for each directive/control sentence

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Descriptive Sentences

• Describe what people do in particular social
  situations
• They are used to describe a social setting or
  step-by-step directions for completing an
  activity.
• Factual
• Do not state always instead use usually or
  probably.
• Eg. The bell rings for the children to come in
  from recess. The children go to their classroom
  where the teacher reads a story.

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Directive Sentences

• Helps direct a person to an appropriate desired
  behaviour/response.
• They are stated using positive language. Focus on
  the desired behaviour not the negative behaviour!
• Often begin with I will try to . . .
• Eg. I am playing during recess. The bell rings
  for me to come in. I stop playing and line up to
  come in. I follow the other children and quietly
  go to the classroom. When we get to the
  classroom, I go to my desk and sit down. I
  listen as my teacher reads a story.

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Perspective Sentences

• Others feelings/reactions to a situation so the
  individual can learn how others perceive various
  events.
• Eg. When the bell rings for recess to end, the
  teacher is happy to see all the children line up
  quietly and walk to their classroom. Many
  children are excited that they get to hear a
  story. The teacher likes to see the children
  listen. The teacher likes it when children are
  quiet during the story.

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Control Sentences

• (not always included)
• Identifies personal strategies the person can use
  to recall and apply the information from the
  social story.
• Eg. I remember that the bell means its time for
  recess to end by thinking of a teapot. I know
  that when it whistles, the water is done. The
  bell is like the whistle when it rings, recess
  is done.

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Trivia Questions

• Usually, people eat meals at the table. They
  stay at the table until their meal is finished
• descriptive
• This makes it easier to eat neatly and safely.
• descriptive

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• I will try to sit at the table while I am
  eating.
• directive
• I will try to eat from my own plate.
• directive
• If I want more food, I may ask for it.
• directive/control

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• Most people are careful when they eat.
• descriptive
• I will try to keep my food on my plate or in my
  mouth. I can do this by using my fork and spoon.
• directive/control
• Mom likes it when I eat at the table.
• perspective

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• Social stories need to be read daily until the
  child successfully enacts the skills or
  appropriately responds in the social situation
  depicted.
• Then fade the number of times the story needs to
  be read in a week or month.
• You can also rewrite the story, gradually
  removing directive sentences from the story.

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Example

• Listening to Stories
• Sometimes people listen to stories. Stories can
  be about things that really happened or they can
  be make believe. Some stories are long and take
  awhile to read. Other stories are short and take
  only a few minutes. Some stories have pictures
  and others just have words. Sometimes I can
  learn new things from stories. I can listen to
  stories at home and at school. When I listen to
  stories I sit quietly and pay attention. Other
  children listen to the stories, too. That is why
  I have to be quiet, so everyone can hear.

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• Example High School student - Test Taking
• Example (with visual supports)
• Example Digital Story - Transition

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Group Work

• In groups of 5
• Create a social story for
• Asking for help
• Winning losing
• Interrupting
• Lining up
• Taking turns
• Share stories

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Questions?