Easily Create Great Social Stories Using Microsoft Publisher By Catherine Nehring

DESCRIPTION Teachers will learn how easy it is to make effective Social Stories to help their students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Visual Communication Aids, like Social Stories, are powerful, research-based Special Education tools for students who need more visually-based communication and more explicit behavioral instruction.

TARGET AUDIENCE Students of any age with ASD: Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) High-Functioning Autism (HFA) Low-Functioning Autism

OBJECTIVE Using Microsoft Publisher and a digital camera, the teacher will create a Social Story to help their student with ASD understand appropriate and functional social behavior.

MATERIALS Digital camera Computers with Microsoft Publisher Printer

WHAT ARE SOCIAL STORIES? Social Stories were developed by Carol Gray. The purpose of the Social Story is “to share relevant information including where and when a situation takes place, who is involved, what is occurring, and why”. [Gray,C. (1998). Social Stories 101.] Social Stories provide the student with accurate information about situations that are difficult or confusing. The stories are designed to increase the student’s understanding of and comfort in these situations, so that the student responds with a more appropriate behavior.

WHY USE SOCIAL STORIES? Social Stories are believed to be effective because they try to address the primary deficit in persons with ASD—lack of Theory of Mind. What is Theory of Mind? It is the ability to understand that other people may see, think and feel differently than oneself; the ability to recognize different points of view. A lack of Theory of Mind means that people with ASD have “difficulty understanding the expectations of others and an inability to predict what others will say or do in social situations. This Theory of Mind phenomenon appears to be unique to those with autism and largely independent of intelligence.” [Wallin, Jason. “An Introduction to Social Stories.”]

OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL STORY STRATEGY STEP 1: Create a Social Story for a specific situation. Social Stories are short descriptions of social situations, specifically detailing what a student might expect and what may be expected of the student in that situation. STEP 2: Prepare the student in advance. Read the Social Story to the student. STEP 3: Implement the intervention—Just before the situation occurs, re-read the Social Story with the student. Then leave the Story where the student can freely refer to it. (If needed, each morning the Social Story can be read to the student to prepare for the day.) STEP 4: Record the student’s behavior during the target situation.

COMPONENTS OF A SOCIAL STORY A. Social Stories contain 4 types of sentences: Descriptive Descriptive sentences define a social setting and what people typically do in that situation. Directive Directive sentences direct the student to engage in an appropriate response to the situation. Perspective Perspective sentences define the perspective/ response of others in the situation. Control Control sentences provide the student with the relevant cues to the social situation, written in the student’s perspective. B. Social Stories contain visual supports—photo, drawing, icon—on each page to enhance understanding.

HOW TO WRITE A SOCIAL STORY Write 1 Social Story for 1 behavior. Write at the student’s reading comprehension level. Write the story from the perspective of the student (in first-person). The directives should positively state desired behaviors. Write 2-5 descriptive/perspective/control sentences for every directive sentence. Try not to use inflexible language, like “I will always…” Write in reality by mentioning variations in routines, like “Most days I go to school.”

HOW TO WRITE A SOCIAL STORY Provide assistance recognizing and interpreting social cues. Try to use only affirmative sentences. Enhance the meaning of the story, and make it interesting. Talk about the student’s feelings, beliefs, motivations. There should be pictures to give Visual Cues to correct behavior. Only include truthful and relevant information. Ensure the story is accurate if interpreted literally by using terms like “sometimes” and “usually”. Have a title for the story that identifies and reinforces the most important information in the story.

HOW TO WRITE A SOCIAL STORY The focus of the story should be on the motivation of the undesirable behavior(s), not necessarily on the behavior itself. For example, rather than write about tantruming, write about being scared or frustrated in a particular situation.

EXAMPLE #1 [By Jason M. Wallin] Sitting on the Carpet Sometimes our class sits on the carpet. We sit on the carpet to listen to stories and for lessons. My friends are trying hard to listen so they can enjoy the story or learn from the lessons. It can be hard for them to listen if someone is noisy or not sitting still. I will try to sit still and stay quiet during our time on the carpet.

EXAMPLE #2 [By Jason M. Wallin] Lining Up At school, we sometimes line up. We line up to go to the gym, to go to the library, and to go out to recess. Sometimes my friends and I get excited when we line up, because we’re going someplace fun, like out to recess. It is okay to get excited, but it is important to try to walk to the line. Running can cause accidents, and my friends or I could get hurt. I will try to walk to the line.

EXAMPLE #3 [By Flemington-Raritan Autism Program]

EXAMPLE #4 [By Flemington-Raritan Autism Program]

EXAMPLE #5 [By Flemington-Raritan Autism Program]

HOW TO IMPLEMENT A SOCIAL STORY Week 1 Observe your student carefully. Choose 1 situation rooted in lack of social cognition to focus on. Try to determine the motivation behind the student’s problem behavior. Write a Social Story to address this situation, using as much specific information about it as possible, following the Social Story writing guidelines above. Take digital photos to illustrate each key point. Download the photos to your computer.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT A SOCIAL STORY Week 1 (cont.) Open Microsoft Publisher. Select Catalogs or Programs, then look for the ½ page layout to choose. To create the number of pages you need, on the Toolbar select Insert and then Page. Enter the number of pages to add in the box. Now you have your booklet created. Create a template with one photo object above and text below on each page. Keep each page simple and visually uncluttered. Enter the Story title on the front page. Enter a photo and text on each following page. For younger students, only use the right side pages of the 2-page spread.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT A SOCIAL STORY Week 1 (cont.) Save the file and print the booklet. Assemble and staple the Social Story booklet. Share the booklet with another teacher and another student to see if it makes sense. Finally, share the Social Story with your student (individually). Do this prior to, and not during, the target situation.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT A SOCIAL STORY Weeks 2, 3, 4 At the beginning of each school day, the Social Story should be read with the student. The Story booklet is kept with the student throughout the day to refer to as needed. A consistent schedule for reviewing the Social Story with the student should be established and followed. At first, this usually once a day and just prior to the target situation. The effectiveness of the story should be monitored daily through recording of the student’s behavior during each occurrence of the target situation.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT A SOCIAL STORY Weeks 2, 3, 4 (cont.) If there is no noticeable change in student behavior during the target situation after 1 or 2 weeks, then the story should be re-evaluated. Is any part of the story unclear or confusing? Does the story really address the reasons why the student is having trouble in that situation? Is there a factor besides social cognition that is also at play here (such as sensory overload)? With Publisher, it is easy to make changes to the wording or pictures in the Story booklet, and then reprint it.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT A SOCIAL STORY Weeks 2, 3, 4 (cont.) As the student becomes more successful in the target situation, the story can be faded out (presented less frequently) or changed to meet new needs of the student. Stories are faded out from once a day to every other day, to once a week, to twice a month, until it is no longer needed. For younger students, as each story is mastered, the Story booklets are kept available in the classroom for the child to read.

APPLICATIONS IN ART CLASS Here are some examples of situations calling for Social Stories in Art Class: Talking incessantly while working Interrupting other students while they are working Making hurtful comments about other students’ art work Not touching other students’ art work What to do if you finish your art work before class is over What to do if you have to clean up before you are done with your art work

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