Monday, May 14, 2012

Developing Social Stories for Children With Autism/Asperger's Syndrome/PDD

Social stories have proven successful when working with students on social skill development. Social stories have helped many children develop behaviors that are more appropriate to given settings. Social stories may also help the child understand why certain behaviors are necessary in different situations. But what exactly is a social story and how can it be used in a way that will be helpful and supportive? A step-by-step guideline on how to develop a social story is provided.
First it is necessary to prioritize what behaviors you are seeking to change or develop. Select one behavior at a time. For example, if your child/student has difficulty walking into the library quietly, target this particular activity. Write the story in the first person "When I walk through the door of the library I need to be quiet!" For some children, it is also helpful to include drawings or photographs of the event. Many children may be able to participate in the development of the social story. This involvement encourages "buy in" and a better understanding of the expectations.
Explain the situation that presents difficulty. "On Tuesdays my class goes to the library."
Include a description of the child's behavior along with a description of the desired behavior. "When we walk into the library the room is very quiet. I feel a little nervous because we have left the classroom where I feel safe. I also am excited when we go to the library. Sometimes I yell. When I yell, I like the sound my voice makes and I feel good. It is okay to get excited, but is not okay to yell in the library."
Continue by explaining why this behavior is unacceptable and by describing the desired behavior. "When I yell it bothers other people in the library. It makes it hard for them to work. Even though I like to yell in the library, I need to be quiet because the library is a quiet place. It is not the place to yell."
End the story with a description of the acceptable behavior. "When I walk into the library I will not yell or make any other loud noise. I will walk quietly through the door, smile at the librarian, and sit down quietly on the carpet and wait for directions. When I walk into the library quietly it makes my class and teacher happy. I can yell when I'm on the playground."
Following is a sample of a social story:
Social Story: Going to the Library
"When I walk through the door of the library I need to be quiet! On Tuesdays my class goes to the library. When we walk into the library the room is very quiet. I feel a little nervous because we have left the classroom where I feel safe. I also get excited when we go to the library. Sometimes I yell. When I yell, I like the sound my voice makes and I feel good. It is okay to get excited, but is not okay to yell in the library. When I yell it bothers other the other people in the library. It makes it hard for them to work. Even though I like to yell in the library I need to be quiet because the library is a quiet place. It is not the place to yell. When I walk into the library I will not yell or make any other loud noise. I will walk quietly through the door, smile at the librarian, and sit down quietly on the carpet and wait for directions. When I walk into the library I will try to be quiet because it makes my class and teacher happy. I can yell when I'm on the playground."
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Abrams

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