Social stories are mostly used for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). They are short and simple descriptions created with the intention of helping the child to understand a particular activity or situation, but also to make sure that he has the behaviors expected for that particular situation. Social stories also give accurate information about what the child might see or experience in that particular situation.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Creating a Social Story
Step 1. Decide on the theme of your story
Some social stories are intended for general use, while others target a certain event, situation or activity.
- Examples of social stories that can be used in most cases are: how to wash your hands, or how to organize the dinner table. Examples of stories that target a specific situation or event are: going to the doctor for a visit, boarding a flight.
- Social stories that have a general purpose can be read aloud or reviewed once or twice a day, depending on the child and his or her predisposition to grasp the behavior. However, social stories intended for a specific purpose must be read or analyzed a moment before the event or activity described occurs.
- For example, a social story about visiting a doctor's office must be read right before the child goes to the doctor for a checkup.
Step 2. Limit the story to one topic
A child with autism spectrum disorders cannot handle much of the situation. This is because children with ASD find it extremely difficult to assimilate more than one idea or information at a time.
Step 3. Make the main character look like the child
Try to make the hero of the story look like the child. You can do this by physical appearance, gender, number of family members, interests or character qualities.
- Once the child begins to realize that the boy in the story is similar to him, it will be easier for you, who are the storyteller, to convey your message. The hope is that the child begins to relate himself to the protagonist of the story, behaving like him.
- For example, as you tell Eric's story, you might say, "Once upon a time there was a boy named Eric. He was smart, smart, tall, good-looking and loved playing basketball like you."
Step 4. Think about putting your story in a small book
The stories can be read to the child or they can be carried around in the form of a simple book, which the child can always carry with him in the bag and read whenever he feels the need.
-
If your child can read, keep the book where he can easily reach him; he might want to browse it on his own.
Use Social Stories Step 4 - Children with autism learn visually, so it would be helpful to include pictures, photographs and drawings in social stories to attract the child's attention and to make them seem more interesting to him.
- Learning can be maximized when the child's participation is voluntary and not enforced.
Step 5. Create social stories that are positive
Social stories should always be presented so that the child is able to associate them with positive behaviors, constructive methods of combating negative emotions, and effective solutions for coping and accepting new situations and activities.
Social stories shouldn't have negative undertones. The atmosphere, attitude and tone of the people involved in the presentation of the story should be positive, reassuring and patient at all times
Step 6. Involve the people who represent the characters of the story
That way, the people who have a role to play in the social story will be directly involved - for example, if the story is about sharing toys with others, get the child's brother or friend to participate.
- The child will be able to relate better and will also see in person what it means to share with others, realizing how the attitude of the brother or friend towards him can change when he is willing to share.
- This will encourage more and more positive and rewarding behaviors.
Step 7. Consider the child's mood when telling a social story
Time, place and mood should be taken into consideration when telling a social story to the child: the child must have a calm, active, relaxed and energetic mood.
- It is not recommended to tell the story when the child is hungry or tired. The essence of social history cannot be assimilated when the mood and energies are not stable.
- In addition, the place should be free of loud lights and sounds and other distractions that the child may be sensitive to. Telling a social story under the wrong conditions is useless.
Step 8. Consider telling a social story about a certain behavior directly before the time you want the child to exhibit that behavior
Social stories are most effective when they are told before the expected behavior happens.
- Since the story is fresh in his mind, the child remembers what happened and hopefully tries to act in the same way as described in the story.
- For example, if the story is about sharing toys during play, the teacher can tell it just before the break, so that the effect remains during the break where the child can practice sharing his toys with other children.
Step 9. Create different stories aimed at different needs
Social stories can also be used to help a child with ASD cope with overwhelming and uncontrollable emotions and feelings for them. For example, these stories might be about what to do when you don't want to share toys with others, or how to cope with the death of a loved one.
- Social Stories can also teach the child the social skills needed, such as communicating with others without creating conflict, communicating needs and desires appropriately, building friendships and relationships. All of this is often necessary because children with SLD do not have adequate social skills.
- Social stories can also impart essential skills to the child to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, such as what to do after waking up, how to use the toilet, how to wash hands, etc.
Step 10. Ask the child to tell a story
It is the best way for a child to communicate what he knows to other people. From time to time, ask the child to tell a story for himself. Through the story, try to see if he includes the stories you told him or if he makes them up on his own.
- Children usually tell stories of what they experience every day or what they would like to experience every day. With the help of these stories, try to judge if the child is thinking right or if he is talking about things that are not appropriate for his age. It also tries to identify if he is experiencing the problems he might present in the story.
- For example, if the child tells a story such as: "Once upon a time there was a bad girl who beat every child in school and stole a snack", she is probably trying to tell you some bullying problem she faces at school. because of "this" girl.
Step 11. Replace one story with another social story as the child grasps the conveyed concept
Social stories can be modified according to the skills the child acquires. You can remove some elements from the social story or add new ones to meet the child's contingent needs.
- For example, if the child now understands how to ask for a break when he feels distressed, then the story that has to do with this particular behavior may be interfered with or less told.
- It is helpful to review old social stories from time to time (e.g. once a month) to help the child maintain such behavior. You can also leave the stories where he can reach them, so if he feels like rereading them he can.
Part 2 of 3: Building Phrases with Social Stories
Step 1. Create a descriptive sentence
These sentences talk about particular situations or events, give information about who the participants are or who is involved in the situation, what the participants will do and the reason behind their involvement. They have to do with the "where", the "who", the "what" and the "why".
- For example, if a social story is about washing hands after using the bathroom, descriptive phrases should be used to talk about the situation and provide information on who should wash their hands and why (to prevent the spread of germs).
- Descriptive sentences provide information on the facts.
Step 2. Use a perspective phrase to convey thoughts and emotions
These phrases talk about the person's psyche in relation to a particular situation, including the person's emotions, thoughts and mood.
For example: "Mom and Dad like it when I wash their hands. They know it's good to wash your hands after using the bathroom."
Step 3. Make up directive sentences to teach the child to react appropriately
Use directing phrases to talk about desired reactions or behaviors.
For example: "I'll try to wash my hands every time I use the bathroom."
Step 4. Use affirmative sentences to underline other sentences
Affirmative sentences can be used in conjunction with descriptive, perspective or directing ones.
- Affirmative sentences increase or emphasize the importance of the sentence, be it descriptive, perspective or directive.
- For example: "I will try to wash my hands after using the bathroom. It is very important to do so." The second sentence is highlighting the importance of washing hands.
Step 5. Create cooperative sentences to teach the importance of other people
These phrases make the child understand / realize the importance of others in various situations or activities.
For example: "There will be a lot of traffic on the street. Mom and Dad can help me cross the street." This helps the child understand that he needs to cooperate with mom and dad to cross the road
Step 6. Write control phrases to serve as a reminder to the child
Control phrases should be written from the autistic child's perspective to help them remember to apply them in a particular situation. They are personalized phrases.
- For example: "I have to eat fruit and vegetables with every meal to stay healthy, just as plants need water and sunlight to grow."
- The ideal is to use 0-2 control phrases for every 2-5 descriptive or perspective phrases. This helps not to make the story too authoritarian, turning into an "anti-social story".
Step 7. Use partial sentences to make the story interactive
These phrases help the child to make some assumptions about a certain situation. The child is allowed to guess the next step that can be outlined in a situation.
- For example: "My name is ------ and my brother is called ------ (descriptive sentence). My brother will feel ------- when I share my toys with him (perspective sentence) ".
- Partial sentences can be used with descriptive, perspective, cooperative, affirmative and controlling ones and employed once the child has acquired an adequate understanding of certain situations and the appropriate and required behaviors.
- Try making a game by having the child guess the missing words.
Part 3 of 3: Using Social Stories That Serve for Different Purposes
Step 1. Realize that each story can have a different purpose
Social stories can be used for a number of different purposes, for example: to adapt the child to any changes in daily routine, to new environments, to dispel fears and insecurities, to teach hygiene and cleanliness, to introduce certain processes.
Step 2. Tell the child a story that helps him express his emotions and thoughts
For example, the story might be something like, "I'm angry and upset. I feel like screaming and hitting others. But this behavior would upset the people around me and no one would want to play with me anymore. Mom and Dad said. that I have to tell an adult who is with me that I am frustrated. I take deep breaths because that will prevent me from screaming and hitting. I will feel better soon."
Step 3. Use a story to help your child prepare for a visit to the doctor or dentist
Specific social stories should be developed to mentally prepare the child for what awaits him at the doctor's office.
- This is very important because it has been observed that autistic children are usually bothered by loud lights and sounds, but also by proximity, and they touch what is around them due to a developed reactivity to sensory stimuli. A visit to the doctor or dentist involves most of these things. Therefore, it is essential for the child to be prepared, educated and mentally well organized to face visits and to cooperate with doctors and parents.
- Stories can include things like: what the doctor's office will look like, what toys or books he can take to play at the study, what the lighting will be like, what the procedures will be, how he is expected to respond to the doctor, etc.
Step 4. Create a story to introduce new concepts, rules and behaviors
Social stories can be used to introduce the child to the new games and sports they will be doing in physical education classes.
Step 5. Tell the child a social story to help calm his fears
Social stories can be used in the event that a child with ASD needs to start school or change school, go to a new or higher school. Whatever the reason, the change is likely to bring fear and anxiety.
Since he has already visited the places through social stories, the child will feel less insecure and anxious when he has to explore the place. Children with ASD are known to have difficulty coping with change. But when it comes to planning and preparing, you can make your child accept change with less resistance
Step 6. Break the social stories into parts to teach the child what to do
Sometimes social stories can be broken up into bits to make them easier to understand. It can be useful to do this in the event of significant events, such as a plane trip.
- The story must be very detailed and refer to things like the need to stand in line, the possibility of sitting in the waiting room, the behavior that must have while waiting, and what are the rules of behavior in general..
- In the previous example of how to travel by plane, the first part of the story can talk about situations that involve travel arrangements, such as packing and leaving for the airport, for example: "The place we will go is warmer than ours, so I have to pack lighter clothes, no heavy jackets. It might rain once in a while, so I need to bring an umbrella. There I'll have plenty of time to myself, so I carry my favorite books, puzzles and small toys ".
Step 7. Build the second and third parts of the social story on the appropriate behavior to engage in
The second part may relate to what the child is waiting for at the airport, for example:
- "There will be a lot of other people at the airport. It's normal, because they are traveling just like me. Mom and Dad have to get a boarding pass that allows us to travel by plane. For that we need to wait in line for our turn. It may take some time. I can stay with mum and dad or sit in the stroller next to mum and dad. I can even read a book if I want."
- The third party can talk about what awaits him once in flight and how to behave appropriately. For example: "There will be rows of seats and many other people in flight. A stranger might sit next to me, but it doesn't matter. I have to put on my seat belt as soon as I sit on the plane and keep it fastened. If I need to something or to say something, I have to say it softly to mum or dad, without screaming, shouting, kicking, rolling or hitting … on the plane I have to be calm every moment and listen to mum and dad ".
Advice
- Descriptive and perspective sentences should dominate directives and control ones. It is recommended to use only 1 directive or control sentence for every 4-5 descriptive and perspective sentences.
- Social stories can be used in both school and home settings. They do not involve any complexity, so they can be used by teachers, psychologists and parents.
- Social stories are used to prepare the child for something (be it an event, a special day, a place …) to help them accept changes, to make sure they know what to expect, to let them know that it's okay to do a certain thing, to make him understand what behaviors are appropriate in a particular situation and to make him behave in the best possible way.
