Teaching appropriate social skills and communication skills to children with autism is one of the greatest challenges for parents, teachers, and professionals. Using visual social stories is one of the most effective methods of social training. Many kids with autism are nonverbal or have minimal speech and language skills, and will need to use social stories and other augmentative and alternative communication methods.
The autism spectrum varies widely and many kids with mild forms of autism, such as Asperger’s syndrome, do have a good grasp of language. However, these children will still face many awkward and unpredictable social situations in school and elsewhere. It is hard for children on the autism spectrum to know how to react appropriately and equally hard for them to understand others’ reactions. Social stories can provide time they need to process social behavior.
Social Stories – Listing Desired Social Skills
The first step in creating social stories that will illustrate desired social skills is to list those behaviors that are both inappropriate and appropriate. For example, if a teacher would like to show a child with autism how to ask a friend if s/he would like to play, a list of undesirable behaviors and desirable ones should be created first.
In the first column, list the behavior that is being taught. In the case described above, it is to get a friend’s attention. Then in the second column, list the “don’t behaviors”, such as making odd noises, pushing, hitting, teasing, and interrupting. In the third column, list the right ways to get attention, such as politely asking to play or join in a game.
Social Stories – Identifying Consequences of Behavior
In the social story, it is important to show the wrong way of doing something as well as the right way, and the consequences that may follow. Create a flow chart from the above list, with an arrow pointing to the wrong behavior, and then an arrow pointing to the possible negative consequences. Hitting and pushing, for instance, may cause a friend to be sad, yell, hit back, tell a teacher, or walk away.
Then make another bubble with the right way to get a friend’s attention, and an arrow pointing from that bubble to the positive consequences of learning this important social skill: having a chance to play a fun game with a friend.
Putting Together the Social Story
Once the flow chart has been created, it will basically illustrate how to make a social story based on the skill being taught. The next step will be to gather pictures of children with the facial expressions necessary to make the picture story meaningful. These can be found in magazines or online. Read Where to Find Pictures and Symbols for Social Stories for more information.
One other way to make the social stories more personal would be to include pictures of the child with autism with various emotions and expressions. This will not only make a better social story that the child with ASD can relate to, it will also give him a chance to practice facial expressions.
Finally, it is important to put words to the story. These words and thoughts should clearly express what might happen in the social situation, and realistic reactions from all characters in the story, both positive and negative. Sample stories and guidelines may be helpful when creating social stories from scratch.
Autism can be a particularly isolating disorder and children who suffer from it will have difficulties throughout their lives with communication and social skills. Children of all ages with autism will benefit by using social stories with the guidance of teachers, parents, and other supportive professionals. By using pictures of themselves and other familiar faces to develop social stories, it may be possible to minimize awkward social behavior.
Readers may also like PECS in the Classroom.
Sources:
Baker, Jed, Ph.D., The Social Skills Picture Book. TX: Future Horizons, Inc., 2001.
Dunn, Michelle A., Ph.D., & Fein, Deborah, Ph.D., Autism in your Classroom. MD: Woodbine House, 2007.
Karen Plumley - Karen Plumley is a writer specializing in parenting and education. She works for Parenting NH and the Hippo, NH's most widely read ...
