Understanding Social Stories
In therapy, I often use Social Stories as a method of helping children with communication challenges, especially those who are autistic learn new routines and understand unfamiliar situations. This technique can help both at home and at school and may come in particularly handy at the start of the school year. I’ve put together a guide to Social Stories which I hope many of you will find helpful!
What is a Social Story?
Social Stories were originally designed by Carol Grey, and are a widely recognised tool used to help children understand a new or changing situation. There are specific ‘rules’ to follow to ensure they are written effectively, but they’re a lot easier to create than they first may seem – stick with me and I will talk you through the process and answer some common questions…
When should I use a Social Story?
The goal of a Social Story is to share information using a format and voice that is descriptive, meaningful, and physically, socially, and emotionally safe for the child. It is not the goal of a Social Story to change your child’s behaviour by telling them what to do, but rather to encourage improvements in certain behaviours as a result of improved understanding of events and expectations.
Are they different for every child?
Social Stories should always be tailored to the individual child, with their attention span, learning style and interests in mind. In some situations, it may be appropriate to use the same Social Story for a group of children – for example, if a class is experiencing their teacher leaving.
What do Social Stories involve?
Many Social Stories use repetition, rhythm and rhyme to create a sense of familiarity in a new or difficult situation. Pictures or symbols often accompany the words, but this depends on your child's learning style. The more fun and exciting we can make the story, the bigger the impact it will have.
There are 5 main elements to a Social Story:
1. They are written in the first or third person, e.g. ‘I will…’ or ‘Laura will…’.
2. They are told in a positive and patient tone of voice – if you need to write about negative behaviours, this should always be backed up with a positive point or a solution.
3. They can be written in past, present or future tense.
4. They must use accurate language – words and phrases can be interpreted literally by autistic children, so bear this in mind.
5. They must also use meaningful language to ensure the message of the story is clear. Use positive verbs and try to avoid words that could trigger strong emotional reactions, like something being ‘new’.
Where do I start?
Your Social Stories should answer ‘wh’ questions which will help your child understand the situation.
‘Where’ – give your child context of the situation.
‘When’ – include time-related information.
‘Who’ – talk about who your child can expect to encounter and their role in the situation.
‘What’ – give cues as to what your child can expect.
‘How’ – talk about basic activities, behaviours and statements.
‘Why’ – explain the reasons and rationale behind them.
Is there a certain style I should follow?
Normally, a Social Story will include two types of sentences:
1. Descriptive Sentences which accurately describe the context. These should avoid assumptions, opinions or bias.
2. Coaching Sentences used to gently guide behaviour. For example, you may describe the expected responses or possible choices for your child, or encourage them to write a sentence if they feel able to contribute to the story.
Carol Gray’s formula to a successful Social Story is to describe more than direct. To know whether you’ve done this, the total number of sentences that DESCRIBE divided by the total number of sentences that COACH must be greater than or equal to two.
And finally, good luck! I hope this helps you and your child to navigate new routines and unfamiliar situations. If you’re looking to begin therapy with your child, I currently have no waiting list at the time of writing this blog and would love to chat about how I can help – please get in touch.