Overview

1. Social storiesCraig DomanskiCaldwell CollegePS 572--Teaching Language and Social Skills to Children with Autism

2. Overview • History • Definitions • Uses • Components • Guidelines • 4-Term Contingency • Example • References

3. History • Developed by Carol Gray • Director of The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding in Grand Rapids, Michigan • http://www.thegraycenter.org/ • Had been a teacher of students with autism and a consultant to public schools for 22 years • First defined in 1991 • Has undergone many revisions since then • Present description: • “Currently, a Social Story is considered a process that results in a product for a person with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder.” (Gray, pp. 13-1)

4. Process • Must be written with consideration for the perspective of the child with ASD (Gray, 13-1) • Product • Short story in a specialized format • Describes a situation, concept, or social skill

5. What situations are Social Stories written for? • Are individualized based on the needs of the child • Possible uses: • Troubling situations • Describe skills that may be in the social or academic curriculums • Individualize skills that are taught in a social skills training setting • Break down a goal into manageable steps • Describe a classroom routine • Acknowledging achievement • First story should be about something that the child is successful in doing • Helps to identify with the story (Gray, pp. 13-2)

6. Components of a social story • Descriptive statements • Backbone of the story • The “logic” and “accuracy” of the story that might be “reassuring to those who are overwhelmed by social concepts and situations.” (Gray, 13-2) • Factual statements; no opinions • Should be the most frequent types of statements used

7. Examples of descriptive statements • “My name is Craig.” • “I work in a school.” • “It’s hot during the summer.”

8. Perspective statements • The “heart” of the story • Describe feelings, opinions, thoughts that are involved in a situation • The invisible (but important) aspects of a social situation • Rarely used to describe the internal events in the child with autism • Used most often to refer to the other people in the story

9. Examples of perspective statements • “My friends like to play on the playground.” • “The teacher knows the answer to the math homework.” • “Sometimes, people feel tired when they stay up late.”

10. Directive statements • Name the desired response or list of possible responses • Tell the child what to do in a situation • Often begin with, “I will try…” or “I can…” • Avoids being taken too literally for fear of child not knowing there’s any wiggle room • Must be written with much consideration

11. Examples of directive statements • “I will try to raise my hand.” • “I can try to share the toys with my friends.” • “I can decide to play with blocks, read a book, or color a picture.” • Offers a list of choices

12. Affirmative statements • Express a common opinion about an element of the situation • Usually accompany another type of statement in the story • Basically used to: • Stress an important point • Refer to a rule • Reassure the reader

13. Examples of affirmative statements • “It’s a good idea to …” • “It’s ok to…” • “<I can ask a friend for his toy.> That’s the right thing to do.”

14. Partial statements • Fill-in statements that allow the child to actively participate in the story • Helps to show that the child comprehends to story

15. Examples of partial statements • “If I share, my friends will be so _____.” • “Mom and Dad will be so ____ if I go to bed like a big kid.”

16. The Social Story Ratio • Applied to the story as a whole • Desired ratio is: 0-1 directive statements 2-5 descriptive, perspective, and/or affirmative statements

17. Other kinds of statements • Control sentences • Identify strategies that the learner can use in a troubling situation • “When someone says, ‘I changed my mind,’ I can think the idea is getting better--like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.” (Gray, 13-4) • Cooperative sentences • Identifies the people that will help the child, and how they will help • “Mom and Dad can help me take deep breaths when I’m upset.”

18. Guidelines • Step 1: Picture the goal • Important to depict all relevant information that will occur in a social situation • Use text and illustrations; be concrete • Step 2: Gather information • Include where and when the situation occurs, who is involved, how events are sequenced, what occurs, and why it occurs

19. Step 3: Individualize the text • Remember the learning styles, needs, interests, and abilities of the target student • Always use positive statements • Step 4: Teach with the title • Should state the overall gist of the story • I.e., “Mike Ties his Shoes”

20. How to implement a Social Story • Introducing the story • Most important element in implementation • Introduced in a relaxed setting • Using it punitively is not recommended • Reviewing the story • “This is perhaps the most important element in the implementation of a social story.” (Gray, 13-8) • Share joint attention with the child on the story • Have multiple people review the story with the child • Encourages generalization

21. Fading the story • “Experience indicates it may not be possible, or advisable, to fade a Social Story from use.” (Gray, pp. 13-9) • Re-write it with systematic omissions • Use partial statements • Review it less frequently

22. Where does a Social Story lie in the 4-term contingency? (Social Story for sharing a toy) Contextual stimulus SD Response Consequence Play setting Peer asks for toy Student shares Praise Peer present Social Story • NOTE: A Social Story would technically be considered a stimulus prompt, which occurs simultaneously (or in this case, just prior to) the SD

23. Example of a Social Story:Craig works hard in school Hi, my name is Craig. <descriptive statement>

24. I’m a big kid in Dr. Reeve’s PS 572 class at Caldwell College. <descriptive statement>

25. The students in class think that class is hard. <perspective statement> • In class, there is a lot of work. <descriptive statement>

26. So much work makes me sad. When I get sad about too much work, it’s a good idea to: <affirmative statement> • Stop • Take a deep breath • Ask for a break

27. Doing my work is important. <affirmative statement> • Dr. Reeve will be so happy if I do all my work. <perspective statement>

28. If I do a good job in class, Dr. Reeve will let me graduate. I can do it! I can graduate from Caldwell College!!! <affirmative statement>

29. References Gray, C. (2000). The New Social Story Book: Illustrated Edition. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons, Inc. 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, 173-182. 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, 425-446. Weiss, M.J. (2008, June). Teaching children with autistic spectrum disorders. Presentation given for Teaching Language and Social Skills to Children with Autism, Caldwell College.