Social stories have emerged as a powerful tool for helping individuals navigate complex social landscapes. They help the child learn what to do (and what not to do) when faced with unfamiliar life situations.
What Are Social Stories?
Social stories are short, written, or visual guides that describe a situation, skill, or concept in terms of social cues, perspectives, and common responses. These stories provide clear and concrete information about what to expect in a particular social situation, These simple, personalized narratives provide a practical and efficient way to teach social skills, enhance comprehension, and reduce anxiety.
They were first introduced in 1991 by Carol Gray, an educational consultant for students with autism spectrum disorder and while originally designed for individuals with ASD, they have proven beneficial for anyone who has difficulty understanding or engaging in social interactions. This includes people with ADHD, anxiety disorders, and other cognitive or developmental disabilities.
Social stories are used to:
Teach new social skills: Social stories can help individuals understand expected behaviours in various social situations, like how to take turns while playing a game.
Prepare for changes or new experiences: If something new or different is about to occur, such as a school trip or a doctor's appointment, a social story can help alleviate anxiety and prepare the individual for the event.
Promote self-care: Social stories can also be used to teach self-care skills, such as brushing teeth or getting dressed independently.
The Benefits of Social Stories include:
Increased Understanding: They help individuals understand social norms and expectations, reducing anxiety and improving their ability to engage in social interactions.
Promotion of Independence: By teaching self-care and practical skills, social stories can boost an individual's independence and confidence
Enhanced Empathy: Through the use of social stories, individuals can gain a better understanding of others' perspectives, fostering empathy and improving interpersonal relationships.
Customizable and Flexible: Social stories can be tailored to the individual's needs and can be modified over time as those needs change.
images above from Autismworks.com
How to Write a Social Story
When writing a social story, it's important to keep the individual's perspective in mind. The story should be written in a way that's easy for the person to understand and relate to. Wherever possible, there is great value in including the child in the making of the social story.
Here are some steps to follow:
Identify the Topic: Identify the situation or skill that the individual finds challenging or needs to learn.
Gather Information: Understand the details of the situation. What are the social cues? What are the expected behaviours? What might the individual find confusing or challenging?
Write in First Person: Use first-person language to make the story more relatable. For example, "I will wait my turn to play the game."
Use Positive and Concrete Language: Use simple, clear, and positive language. Avoid abstract concepts and negative phrasing.
Include Pictures or Visuals: Visuals can make the story more engaging and easier to understand. Photos often make the story more specific but be mindful if you want the behaviour to be generalised in lots of places, times or with different people as the child may only interpret the story in its specific context. Keep the visuals simple, clear and easily understandable.
Image: do2learn
https://do2learn.com/picturecards/printcards/2inch/imagegridswords/emotions.htm
Review and Practice the Story: Review the story with the individual and practice it regularly. Make revisions as necessary based on their feedback.
The sentence format is important, with these sentence types used generally:
Perspective sentences – referring to the view of another person e.g. “My sister likes to dance.”
Descriptive sentences –factual and observable with no opinions added. They purely identify the most pertinent fact. e,g. “People go to the hairdresser to get their hair cut.”
Directive sentences – give an action or actions to follow to achieve a positive outcome. e.g.: “I will wash my hands after going to the toilet.”
Control sentences –written with or by the child after hearing the story. They act as a reminder or ‘script’. e.g.: “I need wash my hands after going to the toilet.
Affirmative sentences – which affirm the meaning of the sentence and can also include the agreement by others. e.g. “I will wash my hands after going to the toilet. Washing my hands keep me healthy.
Cooperative sentences – are those that indicate that people are sometimes needed to help you. e.g I need to be safe crossing the street. My mum or dad can hold my hand to help me cross the street.
Reassurance sentences: This section should provide reassurance sentences that help alleviate any concerns or anxieties the individual may have about the situation. These sentences should help the individual feel more confident and comfortable in the situation.
With this information in mind, here is a general proforma for writing a social story:
Introduction: This section should briefly introduce the individual or situation that the social story will be addressing.
Descriptive sentences: This section should provide descriptive sentences that explain the situation or behaviour that the social story is addressing.
Perspective sentences: This section should provide perspective sentences that help the individual understand the thoughts and feelings of others in the situation. These sentences should help the individual see the situation from different viewpoints.
Affirmative sentences: This section should provide affirmative sentences that reinforce positive behaviour or actions.
Reassurance sentences: This section should provide reassurance sentences that help alleviate any concerns or anxieties the individual may have about the situation.
Conclusion: This section should summarize the main points of the social story and provide an overall positive message. This section can also provide an opportunity to reinforce the importance of the situation or behaviour being addressed.
Help:
I recommend that you consider the powerful tool that a social story can be when it is designed and used in collaboration with the child, their family and with a clear understanding of why you are introducing it and how it needs to be both responsive and adaptable.
You can have a go at writing your own
access examples, through services such as OT, speech pathologists or psychologists.
Specific associations, such as Autism Association of WA (autism.org.au) would also be good reference points.
You can find stories to adapt or use on platforms such as do2learn https://do2learn.com/ which has a myriad of stories, images, and ideas. There are YouTube options too, such as Autismworks.com https://youtu.be/qJOXoxAcB3E which enable you to utilise media as an option too.
You can subscribe to sites, such as Boardmaker or lessonpix for a wide range if images to use in your story.
By using a clear, concise, and personalized narrative, social stories can improve understanding, promote independence, and enhance social skills. With practice and consistency, they can make a significant difference in an individual's life.
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