Social Stories

What is a Social Story?

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Social Stories are a social learning tool that supports the safe and meaningful exchange of information between parents, professionals, and people with autism of all ages. The people who develop Social Stories are referred to as Authors, and they work on behalf of a child, adolescent, or adult with autism, the Audience.

Authors follow a defined process that begins with gathering information, discovering a topic that ‘fits’ the Audience, and the development of personalized text and illustration. Most frequently associated with short, simple Stories, there are also Social Articles for use with older or more advanced individuals. The Social Story Definition and ten defining characteristics (The Social Story Criteria) guide the development of every Story and result a patient, respectful, and unassuming quality that is the hallmark of the approach. It is that quality that distinguishes genuine Social Stories from social scripts, skill checklists, or ‘social stories’ that do not meet the current the definition.

There is only one definition for the term ‘Social Story’:

A Social Story accurately describes a context, skill, achievement, or concept according to 10 defining criteria. These criteria guide Story research, development, and implementation to ensure an overall patient and supportive quality, and a format, “voice”, content, and learning experience that is descriptive, meaningful, and physically, socially, and emotionally safe for the child, adolescent, or adult with autism.

How are Social Stories Used?

• Safety: Understanding safety may make it easier to follow some rules.
• Tragedies:  What a tragedy is and understanding tragedies on television.
• Discovery of Self and Others:  Each person is one of a kind.
• Advanced Concepts: Stories to address ‘elusive’ topics like stereotypes and resilience.
• Change: Changes in their daily life, including transitions. 

Additional Social Story Information:

Where did Social Stories come from?
The History of Social Stories

Is THIS a Social Story?
It is NOT a Social Story if… An initial screening instrument

How the Social Story Criteria keep pace with experience and research
Social Stories 10.0 – 10.2 Comparison Chart

Personality Pizza

The Personality Pizza is a group treatment activity to do with elementary or junior high school aged children. This activity is useful particularly with students who struggle socially because of behavior in the classrooms, as a motivator to build better, more positive friendships. This exercise is a part of Character Education, and develops communication and introspective skills for students, and connects to the school social work model of practice utilizing cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on the person’s perception of a reality, and works to develop thinking that will improve their function in a given situation. In this case, identifying the student’s thinking regarding their reputation and the positive characteristics of a friend is the focus, after which point the student is guided to consider and cultivate their own positive characteristics and behaviors as a friend.

The activity consists of two sessions. In the first, we read through the highlighted personalities in the handouts, and identify the qualities of each of those students described. In the second session, include a refresher of the qualities discussed, and label each of the nine pizza toppings with a quality. The students then “make their pizza” with the qualities that they would like to be known by. The activity centers around discussions of how the qualities the student has chosen can be achieved, while encouraging the students in the positive qualities that they already exhibit.

The pizza toppings and nine qualities can be altered, depending on the group of students. 

The following are some of the qualities that we utilize:

Helpful, Kind, Caring, Polite, Athletic, Honest, Cooperative, Dependable, Friendly

 

     

Reference:

Sitsch, G. M., & Senn, D. S. (2002). Puzzle pieces: Classroom guidance connection. Chapin, SC: YouthLight.