A social story describes a situation, skill or concept that is read to help a student improve their social skills and appropriate behavior. Social Stories attempt to address the "theory of mind" impairment by giving individuals some perspective on the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of others. They help the individual better predict the actions and assumptions of others. Social stories also present information on social situations in a structured and consistent manner” (Wallin, 2004). Social stories use more pictures or text rather than speech or observation to help get the message relayed to the reader. These stories help to give the reader the freedom to practice the skills on their own terms. There are three categories into which social stories are classified. Once the author understands these concepts when writing a story they can focus on a specific skill or situation. The three categories are social audience which is typically for people who are shy and don't like crowds, they get stressed easily and try to avoid social situations. The second one is social indifference which is shown through a person who doesn't seek social interaction but also doesn't try to avoid or run from it. The last category is social awkwardness and this happens in the higher functioning people who have autism. They tend to focus only on topics that interest them; it's very difficult for them to keep conversations or friends. They can't learn any social skills by just observing them. The goal of social stories is to share social information in a manner that is easily understood to the reader. All the stories should include something that the character does well; it should never be to change the individual’s behavior.
Another method to help an autistic person improve their social skills and appropriate behavior is using digital stories. Digital stories targeting social skills promote relationships with peers by selecting skills based on individual and group needs. Digital stories allow teachers to target culturally appropriate skills and create a unique opportunity to involve students and families in the creation process. This can be the implementation of computer-aided instruction and digital media" (Moore, 2008). These help give the students more control; they give repetition and direct feedback. Many people would rather view pictures than read a story especially young children. Digital cameras could be used to take pictures of familiar people or places to help an autistic person become aware of what and who they see every day. The use of medial has helped increase the use of motivation, time spent on a task and attention. Digital stories help an author or teacher to save time; they can just go into the already saved story and change around the pictures or names to help personalize that specific story. Sound and larger images can be added which can help with students who may have other disabilities other than just being autistic. Digital stories can be created using software that many schools provide.
When writing Social stories rather it is a hard copy or through digital media there are some considerations to keep in mind. The story should be short and to the point, the sentences should be specific detail to teach social skills. They should be written for a specific situation and specific person. The style and content included should vary according to the reader's age. The story should be written in first-person, present tense. There are four types of sentences used when writing social stories, descriptive, perspective, directive and control sentences. The control sentences are only used in stories for higher functioning autistic students. Always write stories with the child in mind!
Works Cited
More, C. (2008). Digital Stories Targeting Social Skills for Children With Disabilities. Hammill Institute on Disabilities , 168-177.
Wallin, J. (2004). Teaching Children with Autism . Retrieved April 20, 2011, from Introduction to Social Stories: http://www.polyxo.com/socialstories/introduction.html
