Four-year-old Sarah loved school and wanted so badly to ride the bus to kindergarten. That summer, in anticipation of the year starting, she would excitedly ask about taking the bus. The first day arrived, as did the bus, right on time. Sarah froze with fear on her front steps, unprepared for the loud noise of the engine, the flashing lights, and how to engage the kids already on the bus.
Sarah’s mother researched and tried a valuable tool in helping people navigate difficult and new social situations: the Social Story. Here is an example storyboard for Sarah, and her quest to overcome her roadblock of riding the bus:
Most of us take for granted the social skill that is to anticipate how others will react, think, and behave in social interactions. Those who experience roadblocks often find it difficult to predict the actions of others, which sometimes leads to fear or erratic behavior. Topics offer a bit of distance between the person and the new or difficult social scheme, and allows for frequent social skills practice at the individual’s own, comfortable pace.
In Sarah’s case, she worked with teachers, speech pathologists, and her parents, with a fun story about riding the bus, until she felt comfortable enough to take the next step. It helped her navigate around her roadblock in her own time, and on her own terms.
What Are Social Stories?
When individuals face social roadblocks, they often need help in a new or overwhelming situation, like socializing at a birthday party, or riding the bus for the first time. Examples of social stories as comic strips provide a boost in confidence through repetition, which makes these difficult experiences less scary, and more predictable.
The concept of Social Stories was created by Carol Gray in 1991 to use with both adults and children with autism. She hoped that it would better assist them with a variety of situations in more detail. Although her targeted audience was autistic people, Gray had specifically created it for those with higher communication skills. Today the use of Carol Gray social stories has expanded to all types of students, including those with significant communication deficits.
The expansion of use to include individuals on all points of the autism spectrum has helped it make the shift towards what we know today. A commonly used and interchangeable term for these stories is Comic Strip Conversations. The term comes from the visual similarity to a comic strip. Storyboards have the same visual setup, but the author has the benefit of choosing the tone. The storyboard layout allows for each part or step to have its own cell, implying that each cell is its own piece of the story. It also creates a more manageable product for the students using it.
| Type | Example Topics |
|---|---|
| Daily Living Skills |
|
| Unexpected Events |
|
| Transitions |
|
| Adolescent Skills |
|
| Social Situations |
|
Benefits of Social Stories
They are a versatile and effective tool that uses words and pictures to help individuals understand and navigate social situations. While they were initially developed for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), their benefits extend far beyond this group, making them a valuable resource for anyone facing social difficulties. Here, we will delve into the wide-ranging advantages of using these tools and explore how their long-term positive impacts can be measured.
- Improved Social Understanding and Communication: They provide a structured way to convey information, making it easier for individuals to understand complex interactions. By breaking down scenarios into manageable pieces, they can improve comprehension, fostering more effective communication with others. This benefit is not limited to those with ASD but is applicable to anyone who may struggle with others' cues, such as individuals with social anxiety or those in need of support in understanding unfamiliar situations.
- Reduced Anxiety and Stress: They can help alleviate anxiety and stress by offering a clear framework for individuals to anticipate and prepare for social situations. This is especially beneficial for people with ASD, as it allows them to predict what might happen, reducing the fear of the unknown. However, this also holds true for those who face social challenges due to various reasons, offering a sense of control and predictability.
- Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills: They can encourage individuals to think through scenarios, possible outcomes, and appropriate responses. This nurtures problem-solving skills and empowers individuals to handle social issues more effectively, promoting self-confidence and independence.
- Promoting Empathy and Understanding: They are not only for the person receiving, but also for those who write the stories. This process can encourage empathy and understanding among peers, caregivers, and educators. When individuals take the time to craft a social story, they gain insights into the perspectives and needs of others, enhancing their ability to support and relate to those facing difficulties.
Make Your Own Social Story
Many stories can be used again and again for different people, but likely you will want to have a more personalized social story to help specific individuals with their own personal roadblocks. A safety social story is meant to be instructive and safe, so it is important not to make a typical comic or too complicated. There are a few tips to consider to make it effective:
- Start with a Goal in Mind
- Choose a Specific Situation
- Maintain a Positive Tone
- Use Simple Language
- Tailor for the Individual
Start with a Goal in Mind
When you create social stories, writing about a given situation takes special consideration because the basis of the story comes from the perspective of the individual facing the roadblock. Determine the goal before beginning: what problem do you want to solve?
Is there a situation that causes her to act out or meltdown? Is there a scenario from which he tries to escape? Are there planned changes to a routine?
The answers to questions such as these make great subjects for social stories. Finding the underlying issue might require a little digging by interviewing teachers, friends, parents, and others with unique insight into the roadblock. Once you identify the problem, you can look for ways to address it.
Choose a Specific Situation
If an autistic child has severe anxiety over a change in routine, choose one situation, such as a dental appointment, and make a simple, but detailed, narrative. Be sure to focus on a few key points:
- Social Cues
- Appropriate Social Responses
- What They Might See/Hear/Feel During the Event
- What to Expect Other People to Say/Do
- What Might be Expected of Them and Why
For Sarah, the unexpected noise of the bus was difficult to process, and she wasn’t sure what to say to kids or the driver. A social narrative example helped her anticipate the normal bus noise, gave her suggestions of greetings for the driver and the students, and applauded her efforts for taking the step of riding the bus.
Maintain a Positive Tone
The goals of using social stories samples are creating a greater social awareness, offering a level of comfort and familiarity, and sometimes suggesting possible behaviors and connections. Encourage a more positive outlook and lower anxieties by showing the individual being successful and socially engaged. For stories that explain daily living skills, the focus is on the individual and empowering them to take action for themselves. Social stories examples that involve interactions with other people should be approachable and reassuring. In either case, use positive language to ensure the individual feels safe and can be successful.
Use Simple Language
Keep it simple and in the present tense, breaking down the scenario into as many smaller steps as necessary. Be very specific with possible actions and phrases.
There are four types of sentences used to tell social stories:
| Descriptive Sentences | Address the "wh" questions:
|
| Perspective Sentences | Give insight into how others feel or what others are thinking. For example, "The other kids on the bus are excited about school and happy to see Sarah each morning!" |
| Directive Sentences | Provide response suggestions specific to the individual using the story. Give gentle directions like, "Sarah tries to..." |
| Control Sentences | Use as a reminder to help recall the information in the social story. |
Tailor for the Individual
Social stories come in as many lengths, styles, and varieties as there are subjects. Depending on the age of the person reading, it may include photographs of the individual, or of actual locations or objects, for reference. Social stories for teens or adults, more complex pictures may be used, but keep in mind the need for simplicity. Images with busy backgrounds or intricate details might be distracting, and take away from the overall lesson of the story. When in doubt, keep it simple.
The free library of scenes and characters on Storyboard That is always growing, allowing for endless combinations. The characters are editable so they can be made to resemble the specific student(s) that the stories are created for. The creator can also upload their own images, which can be helpful for those students who require explicit visual representation (the car HAS to be a picture of Mom’s actual car).
Please remember for safety and privacy reasons, Storyboard That does not permit the uploading of photos of children under 13 years old.
Share the Social Story
The best time to introduce a story is when excitement levels are low and focus can remain high. Sharingwith family and friends generates a positive connection with the scenario. Developing confidence is the key to social story success in navigating a roadblock, so introducing a social story after a negative experience could be seen as a punishment for bad behavior, not working towards a positive goal. And, since the nature of social roadblocks may change, so may your story. Tweak as needed and often to keep current and relevant.
Whether the individual faces a common social roadblock, similar to Sarah’s fear of riding the bus, or understanding divorce, or something unique like maneuvering a specific doctor’s appointment, social stories offer older children, teachers, parents, therapists, and others a proven effective tool in the quest to provide individuals an insight and understanding of the social world.
Upload pre made stories that cover a different skills, examples, and lots of ideas at no additional cost. Storyboard That's social story creator allows you and your students to create your own social stories in your own voice. You can even use your own photos!
How to Write a Social Story
Start with a Goal in Mind
Writing a social story requires considering the perspective of the individual facing the social roadblock. Determine the goal by identifying the specific problem you want to solve. Interview teachers, parents, and others to gain unique insights into the social roadblock. Once you identify the problem, you can look for ways to address it to the child.
Choose a Specific Situation
Social stories focus on specific situations. Select a particular scenario related to the social roadblock, such as a dental appointment or a school bus ride. Create a simple, yet detailed, story that includes social cues, appropriate responses, sensory experiences, and expectations. Help the individual anticipate what they might see, hear, and feel during the event, as well as what to expect from other people and what might be expected of them.
Maintain a Positive Tone
The purpose is to create greater social awareness, offer comfort and familiarity to the child, and suggest positive behaviors and connections. Maintain a positive outlook and lower social anxieties by showing the individual being successful and socially engaged. Use positive language to ensure the individual feels safe and capable.
Use Simple Language
Keep the language simple, in the present tense, and break down the scenario into smaller steps if necessary. Be specific with actions, phrases, and descriptions. Use descriptive sentences to address "wh" questions, perspective sentences to give insight into others' feelings and thoughts, directive sentences to provide response suggestions, and control sentences as reminders.
Tailor for the Individual
Customize to fit the age and needs of the child. Consider using photographs or simple visual supports for reference, especially for younger children. Keep the visuals simple and avoid distractions. If using an online tool like Storyboard That, utilize editable characters and scenes to resemble the specific student(s) it is created for.
Share the Social Story
Introduce when the individual is calm and focused. Encourage the child to read or present it to family and friends to create a positive connection with the scenario. Sharing the story should be seen as working towards a positive goal, not as a punishment for bad behavior. Update and modify as needed to remain current and relevant to the individual's evolving social roadblocks.
Frequently Asked Questions about Social Stories
What are social stories?
Social stories are brief and straightforward tales that assist individuals in navigating social challenges that autistic children may face, such as attending a party or taking the school bus for the first time. By reinforcing the message through repetition, unique social stories can boost confidence and make these difficult situations less intimidating and more manageable for the child.
Who created social stories, and who were they originally intended for?
Carol Gray developed Social Stories in 1991 to support individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including those with advanced communication abilities.
What are some tips for writing a social story?
To write an effective social story, it is helpful to begin with a clear objective, select a specific scenario to address, adopt a positive and supportive tone, use uncomplicated words and simple text, add visual supports, include accurate information, and customize the story to meet the unique needs of the individual.
What tone should a social story have?
When creating a social story for autistic children and other children, it's important to maintain an overall patient and reassuring tone. It should accurately convey information using a descriptive and meaningful process, format, voice, and content that will have positive results and that's safe both physically and emotionally for the intended audience.
What is an example of a social story in the classroom?
An example of a social story in the classroom is one about raising your hand when you want a turn to speak. Others include walking in the classroom and in other areas of the school, preparing for unexpected events, and how to share with other children.
What are the 4 types of Social Stories?
While there are variations and adaptations, the four main types are: descriptive, perspective, directive, and control.
What is a good social story?
A good social story is one that is tailored to the individual's specific needs, preferences, and challenges. To be effective, it should also be clear and concrete, positive, predictable, respectful, and meaningful.
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