What's a social story? And why is it important?
Here's the master, Carol Gray, herself, speaking of her creation:
I use the term "social stories" similar to the term "kleenex." Not every tissue is a Kleenex brand tissue. Not every predicting conversation with students is a Social Story as defined by Gray. I do my best as mom and general education teacher to navigate these waters.
My first experience with social stories came when I saw it mentioned on an IEP for a sixth grader with Asperger's Syndrome. He needed a social story for how to appropriately behave in the lunchroom when eating. This was a highly sensory time for him (a tidbit for another day), and he had the tendency to wear his lunch all over his face. He needed to know what was socially acceptable at lunch. Skills like these--ones that neurotypical children just pick up from experiencing them or being told once or twice about them by adults or peers--must be explicitly taught to children on the spectrum, preferably before the child is in the situation. However, as the video indicates, research beforehand is important. I might think a social story is needed in a situation, when, in fact, it may not be.
Here's an example. Let's say a school is planning a fire drill. A student with autism disorder will need to successfully evacuate the building and return safely, following the school procedures. An adult would go over a social story with the student, preferably one in writing with accompanying pictures that can then be sent home so parents can review it the night before. It might go something like this (I am not an expert at these, so bear with me).
Tomorrow we will be having a fire drill. The fire drill alarm will go off. It will be a loud noise. It is OK to put my hands over my ears if the noise hurts them. It is not OK to scream. I may talk only to an adult if I have an important question about safety. When the alarm sounds, I will walk in line with my class to our place on the parking lot. We will wait in line quietly. When Mr. Belding says we should return, I will quietly walk in line and return to the building.
These steps are best accompanied with pictures, either using Boardmaker software or actual photos taken at the school, that help familiarize the student with appropriate steps. The ultimate preparation would include an aide or teacher walking the student through the steps of the drill.
The student mentioned earlier benefited from pictures of him successfully eating in the lunchroom. Each successful step was documented via digital camera and printed for him in sequence. It is also important that the critical adults/peers involved in the social story practice with the child if at all possible. At the very least, they need to know what is in place for the child.
When Max entered Kindergarten, his teachers sent us a bound social story of what to expect and important people's pictures and names. He read that a lot before going to his new school in August. Also, his LBS1 and speech pathologist set up a social story for him when he was giving his dad and me a hard time going to school in the morning. It was very helpful, especially when the schedule changes for a "late start" day. The McLean County Autism Society provided a social story to accompany their soccer practices.
This works well for children who have difficulty with transitions, regardless of the diagnosis. For example, a child having a hard transition in to a new grade level would strongly benefit from a social story. A child with severe anxiety about new places and things would benefit as well. Kids with separation anxiety can benefit from knowing when, exactly, they will be reunited with their loved one. It's a fairly useful tool for most parents/caregivers to have.
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