Social Stories
Volume 2, Issue 8 ~ August, 2007
Current Autism Research
Research on Social Stories
|
|
About the "Current Autism Research" feature:
"Current Autism Research" lists articles about autism that have been recently published. To read these articles, subscriptions to the journals in which they are published can be purchased. However, this can become expensive, and another way to obtain these articles is through local college and university libraries. Many of these libraries contain a section entitled, "Periodicals," or something similar, and the journals may be found there in alphabetical order. Often, copies can be made, or you can simply read the journal at the library and take notes. This is a great way for parents, teachers, families, and others to stay current on trends in autism research, and may help you discover new strategies for home, school, or community goals. Note: A listing of research here does not imply an endorsement of the methods or procedures by Positively Autism. Please thoroughly research any program or method that you are considering, obtaining any necessary help from professionals familiar with your situation. Title: "Addressing physical inactivity among developmentally disabled students through visual schedules and social stories" Author(s): Merilee Zimbelman, Angelia Paschal, Suzanne R. Hawley, Craig A. Molgaard, and Theresa St.Romain Journal: Research in Developmental Disabilities Issue: July 2007 (Volume 28, Issue 4) Author's Summary: This project tested visual schedules and social stories in a physical education setting in order to increase the physical activity of developmentally disabled students. Method: This cohort study design involved 17 physical education teachers in a training course with an initial survey and 7-month post-survey. The initial survey assessed participant experience with developmentally disabled students, visual schedules and social stories. The post-survey assessed usage of, effectiveness of, and satisfaction with visual schedules and social stories in a physical education setting. Results: On the initial survey, 100% of the participants reported that they work with developmentally disabled students and 24% reported little to no training in working with this population. On the post-survey, 75% of the participants reported using visual schedules in their teaching and 64% found them to be “effective” or “very effective”. Six percent used social stories in their teaching, reporting them as 100% “very effective”. Conclusion: There is an indication that visual schedules and social stories are effective learning tools in the physical education setting, increasing opportunities for developmentally disabled students to be physically active. However, additional resources and training are needed in order for physical education teachers to implement these tools widely in their classes. Title: "Using a Self-as-Model Video Combined With Social Stories to Help a Child With Asperger Syndrome Understand Emotions" Author(s): Susana Bernad-Ripoll Journal: Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities Issue: Summer 2007 (Volume 22, Issue 2) Author's Summary: Using an AB design with generalization, this study sought to determine the effectiveness of presenting videotaped emotions and Social Stories™ to teach a 9-year-old child with Asperger syndrome to recognize and understand emotions in himself and to generalize them to other situations in his home. Data collected in the child's home showed an improvement between baseline and intervention in the child's ability to recognize emotions and understand their occurrence. Title: "Teaching Paraprofessionals How to Write and Implement Social Stories for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders" Author(s): Kimberly Moudry Quilty Journal: Remedial & Special Education Issue: May/June 2007 (Volume 28, Issue 3) Author's Summary: A multiple-baseline design across subjects was used to determine if paraprofessionals could be effectively taught to write and implement Social StoriesTM that shared accurate social information and had a positive impact on the targeted behaviors of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Three paraprofessional-student pairs participated in the study. The data revealed that paraprofessionals could be effectively taught how to write and implement Social Stories. Furthermore, the targeted student behaviors decreased after the implementation of the intervention. Maintenance data showed continued use of the Social Stories intervention and its effectiveness with the students with ASD. Title: "Investigating the Evidence Base of Social Stories" Author(s): Shama Ali and Norah Frederickson Journal: Educational Psychology in Practice Issue: December 2006 (Volume 22, Issue 4) Author's Summary: Social stories were developed in order to support individuals with autism to better cope with social situations, an area of particular difficulty for this population. Despite its growing popularity, there is limited research evidence on the effectiveness of this approach. A review of research on social stories undertaken between 1994 and 2004 was carried out and the strengths and limitations of these studies discussed. Conclusions are drawn about ways in which future research might further develop the evidence base for the approach and about the confidence with which educational psychologists (EPs) can at present recommend this intervention. Title: "Increasing Appropriate Social Interactions of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders Using Social Stories" Author(s): Dorothy Scattone, Daniel Tingstrom, and Susan Wilczynski Journal: Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities Issue: Winter 2006 (Volume 21, Issue 4) Author's Summary: To date there are more than one dozen studies that validate the use of Social Stories™ as an effective behavioral intervention. Many of these studies focused on decreasing inappropriate behaviors (e.g., aggression, screaming, and grabbing toys), and most combined Social Stories with another intervention. The present study used a multiple baseline design across participants to investigate the effectiveness of Social Stories when used as a sole intervention to increase the appropriate social interactions of 3 children with autism spectrum disorders toward peers both with and without disabilities. During baseline, participants demonstrated few appropriate social interactions, although all had some functional expressive language. An increase in appropriate social interactions occurred for 2 of the participants after the intervention was implemented. These findings suggest that Social Stories may be effective for some children with autism spectrum disorders; however, the population they best serve has not yet been fully identified. Title: "Social Stories™ for Children with Disabilities" Author(s): Georgina Reynhout and Mark Carter Journal: Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders Issue: August 2006 (Volume 36, Issue 4) Author's Summary: A review of the empirical research literature on Social Stories™ is presented, including a descriptive review and single-subject meta-analysis of appropriate studies. Examination of data suggests the effects of Social Stories™ are highly variable. Interpretations of extant studies are frequently confounded by inadequate participant description and the use of Social Stories™ in combination with other interventions. It is unclear whether particular components of Social Stories™ are central to their efficacy. Data on maintenance and generalization are also limited. Social Stories™ stand as a promising intervention, being relatively straightforward and efficient to implement with application to a wide range of behaviors. Further research is needed to determine the exact nature of their contribution and the components critical to their efficacy. Title: "Using Social Stories to Change Problematic Lunchtime Behaviour in School" Author(s): Rachel Toplis and Julie A. Hadwin Journal: Educational Psychology in Practice Issue: March 2006 (Volume 22, Issue 1) Author's Summary: This study used an ABAB design to investigate the effectiveness of social stories as an intervention with five school children who were experiencing difficulties at school lunchtime related to independently entering the dining hall. Measurements of general behaviour using the Conners’ Teacher Rating Scale-Revised (CTRS-R:L): Long Version and social cognition were also taken. The results showed an increase in targeted behaviour when social stories were used for three of the five children. The profile of results from the CTRS-R and social cognitive tasks indicated that social stories were an effective intervention for children who had poor social skills and difficulties understanding the perspective of others. Title: "How should the effectiveness of Social Stories to modify the behaviour of children on the autistic spectrum be tested?" Author(s): Jonathan Rust and Ailsa Smith Journal: Autism: The International Journal of Research & Practice Issue: March 2006 (Volume 10, Issue 2) Author's Summary: Social Stories are an extensively used intervention to address behaviour difficulties of children on the autistic spectrum. This article summarizes what Social Stories are and sets out to determine whether there is any relevant literature demonstrating the effectiveness of this intervention. Whilst the existing literature suggests positive findings with respect to the effectiveness of Social Stories, there is considerable variability in the quality of research methodology, with no single study employing comprehensive, stringent standards. This article highlights the factors that should be considered and addressed when testing the effectiveness of Social Stories, as a means of informing future research. Title: "Teaching a Young Child to Appropriately Gain Attention of Peers Using a Social Story Intervention" Author(s): Delann Soenksen and Sandra Alper Journal: Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities Issue: Spring 2006 (Volume 21, Issue 1) Author's Summary: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a Social Story™ intervention in teaching a young child with hyperlexia to appropriately obtain the attention of his peers. The Social Story intervention consisted of verbal and visual cues incorporated into an age-appropriate storybook format. Attempting to obtain the attention of a peer was defined as either saying a peer's name or looking at the face of a peer while talking. A multiple baseline across settings design was used to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention. The results of the study indicated that the Social Story was effective in increasing the two target behaviors across three settings within an inclusive school. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed. Title: "Using Social Stories and Comic Strip Conversations To Promote Socially Valid Outcomes for Children with Autism" Author(s): Tiffany L. Hutchins and Patricia A. Prelock Journal: Seminars in Speech & Language Issue: Febuary 2006 (Volume 27, Issue 1) Author's Summary: Very little is documented regarding the efficacy of social stories and comic strip conversations for promoting an understanding of social situa- tions and the appropriate social behaviors of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In addition, few studies on the efficacy of social stories have examined whether outcomes are socially valid. The purpose of this article is to respond to some of the gaps in the literature on the efficacy of a frequently used intervention for children with ASD and to describe a family-centered collaborative approach to developing social stories and comic strip conversations. The results of intervention employing an A-B design are reported for two case vignettes. Clinical implications, limitations of the available data, and potential factors contributing to outcome varia- bility are discussed. Title: "The Effects of Social Stories on the Social Engagement of Children with Autism" Author(s): Monica Delano and Martha E. Snell Journal: Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions Issue: Winter 2006 (Volume 8, Issue 1) Author's Summary: A multiple-probe design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of social stories on the duration of appropriate social engagement and the frequency of 4 social skills in 3 elementary-age students with autism. The social skills were seeking attention, initiating comments, initiating requests, and making contingent responses. Following the intervention, which consisted of reading individualized social stories, answering comprehension questions, and participating in a 10-min play session, the duration of social engagement increased for all 3 students with both a training peer and a novel peer. The number of target social skills displayed during the 10-min play sessions increased after the intervention was introduced. Two students demonstrated generalization to a classroom setting. These findings suggest that the use of social stories without additional social skill interventions may be effective in increasing the duration of social engagement and the frequency of specific social skills. Title: "Using Social Stories to Improve the Social Behavior of Children With Asperger Syndrome" Author(s): Frank J. Sansosti and Kelly A. Powell-Smith Journal: Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions Issue: Winter 2006 (Volume 8, Issue 1) Author's Summary: To date, the empirical support for the use of social story interventions for children with Asperger syndrome (AS) is small. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of individualized social story interventions on the social behavior of three children with AS. Using a multiple-baseline-across-participants design, social stories were implemented, and direct observations of the participants' identified target behaviors were conducted three times per week during unstructured school activities (e.g., recess). Data revealed an increase in the social behavior of two of the three participants when the treatment was implemented. Unfortunately, maintenance of target behaviors was not observed. These data provide some initial support for the use of social stories to teach social skills to children diagnosed with AS. However, failure to demonstrate skill maintenance and poor results for one participant highlight possible limitations of the social story intervention and suggest a strong need for further research. Recommendations for future research endeavors and the potential benefits of social story interventions are discussed. Title: "Using a Modified Social Story to Decrease Disruptive Behavior of a Child With Autism" Author(s): Shannon Crozier and Matthew J. Tincani Journal: Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities Issue: Fall 2005 (Volume 20, Issue 3) Author's Summary: Despite the popularity of Social Stories™ as an intervention for disruptive behavior in children with autism, there have been few investigations on the effectiveness of Social Stories. Scattone, Wilczynski, Edwards, and Rabian (2002) found that Social Stories decreased challenging behaviors in children with autism, but they identified verbal prompts as a source of variability to be examined in future study. The current study examined the effects of a modified social story, with and without verbal prompts, on the disruptive behavior of a student with autism in his preschool classroom. A reversal design was used to compare the effectiveness of the modified social story with and without verbal prompts. The disruptive behavior decreased during both phases of the intervention but to a greater degree when the story was paired with prompting. Maintenance probes conducted 2 weeks after intervention revealed that the modified social story had become a regular instructional routine for the student. Results are discussed in relation to study limitations, applications, and directions for future research. Title: "Encouraging Positive Behavior With Social Stories" Author(s): Shannon Crozier and Nancy M. Sileo Journal: Teaching Exceptional Children Issue: July/August 2005 (Volume 37, Issue 6) Author's Summary: This article can help teachers in inclusive classrooms work with all their students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to encourage positive behavior and increase learning. To take advantage of the appeal of both graphic and story elements for many students, teachers can design stories that encourage students to behave positively in social situations, such as eating lunch and playing in the playground. Teachers should use a systematic checklist for writing and using social stories. Although social stories are an effective intervetion for students with ASD, there are certain limitations. Social stories are not designed to address all behavioral needs. Title: "Increasing Self-Managed Coping Skills Through Social Stories and Apron Storytelling" Author(s): Natalie K. Haggerty, Rhonda S. Black, and Garnett J. Smith Journal: Teaching Exceptional Children Issue: March/April 2005 (Volume 37, Issue 4) Author's Summary: Focuses on the advantage of using social stories on exceptional students in the U.S. Measurement of the intensity of the behavior; Effect of the social story intervention on children with special needs; Decrease in the intensity of frustration behaviors for exceptional children. Title: "A Research Synthesis of Social Story Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders" Author(s): Frank J. Sansosti, Kelly A. Powell-Smith, and Donald Kincaid Journal: Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities Issue: Winter 2004 (Volume 19, Issue 4) Author's Summary: Recent trends in the frequency of diagnoses and special education referrals for children with autism spectrum disorders necessitate the demand for evidence-based educational practices. Specifically, information related to improving social communication and social behavior domains in classrooms is needed. One method that is increasingly suggested for teaching social skills to children with autism spectrum disorders is the use of Social Stories. Although the rationale behind Social Stories is strong, little research exists examining the effectiveness of Social Story interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders. This article offers a synthesis of the available research regarding Social Stories and their effectiveness for educating children with autism spectrum disorders. In addition, future directions for research and implications for educators are provided. Title: "The Use of Social Stories to Promote Independent Behaviors in Novel Events for Children with PDD-NOS" Author(s): Michelle L. Ivey, L. Juane Heflin, and Paul Alberto Journal: Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities Issue: Fall 2004 (Volume 19, Issue 3) Author's Summary: This study investigated a previously undocumented use for Social Stories (Gray, 1994, 2000): preparation for a novel event. Three children with pervasive developmental disorder--not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) participated in novel activities within the routine setting of their weekly speech--language therapy sessions. During intervention, Social Stories written for the novel activities were used to prepare the participants for the upcoming events. Independent participation during the novel events was calculated using event recording of the presence of five different skills within each session. The effectiveness of the strategy was documented through a withdrawal design with counterbalanced presentation of novel events. Results indicated that the use of Social Stories produced a 15% to 30% increase in participation during novel events for all three participants. Title: "Social Story Intervention: Improving Communication Skills in a Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder" Author(s): Lynn Adams, Aphroditi Gouvousis, Michael VanLue, and Claire Waldron Journal: Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities Issue: Summer 2004 (Volume 19, Issue 2) Author's Summary: A social story is a short story that describes social situations in terms of relevant cues and often defines appropriate responses for children diagnosed with autism. Limited empirical evidence has been found to support the effectiveness of social story intervention. The authors of this article attempted to quantitatively and qualitatively investigate the effectiveness and carryover effects of social story intervention. Through the use of a single case study and an ABAB statistical design, the frustration behaviors exhibited by a school-age child with Asperger syndrome were targeted in the home environment during homework time. Results from this study suggest that social story intervention is a beneficial tool in decreasing frustration behaviors exhibited during homework time. Additionally, carryover of social story intervention was evidenced within the classroom environment. Title: "Teacher--Researcher Partnerships to Improve Social Behavior Through Social Stories" Author(s): Ellen Agosta, Janet E. Graetz, Margo A. Mastropieri, and Thomas E. Scruggs Journal: Intervention in School & Clinic Issue: May 2004 (Volume 39, Issue 5) Author's Summary: In this project, a partnership between school and university personnel addressed, in a systematic, research-oriented fashion, a classroom problem. A young child with autism exhibited excessively loud screaming, yelling, humming, and other distracting noises during class activities in a special education setting. These disruptive behaviors were a serious concern and also hampered the teacher's efforts to place the child in more inclusive environments. The partnership members first systematically assessed the target behaviors and then consulted existing research interventions addressing those behaviors. Basing their efforts on previous research, the partnership members developed social stories and implemented them through a single-subject research design. Ongoing observations and consultations, as well as input from all partnership members, formed the basis for any changes made to the intervention. At morning circle time, data on inappropriate behavior (yelling) and appropriate sitting were collected during baseline, Intervention Phase 1, Intervention Phase 2, and return-to-baseline conditions. The intervention yielded positive behavioral changes for the target student. Findings are discussed with respect to effective social story interventions for young children with autism and establishment of effective partnerships through which teachers may become active researchers. Title: "Using Social Stories to Teach Choice and Play Skills to Children with Autism" Author(s): Leasha M. Barry, and Suzanne B. Burlew Journal: Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities Issue: Spring 2004 (Volume 19, Issue 1) Author's Summary: Details a study which assessed the effects of social stories on the choice-mating skills and play behaviors of children with autism. Duration of appropriate play at center time; Effectiveness of social story in modifying behavior; Methodology and results. Title: "Social Story Interventions for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders" Author(s): Hoa Kuoch and Pat Mirenda Journal: Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities Issue: Winter 2003 (Volume 18, Issue 4) Author's Summary: This study examined the effectiveness of social story interventions for 3 young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. For 2 participants, an ABA design was used, with a social story presented in the B phase. For the 3rd participant, an ACABA design was used, with the C phase serving as a book + reminder condition that was used to examine the impact of adult attention and the B phase consisting of a social story. Results confirmed previous research with regard to the effectiveness of this intervention for reducing the frequency of target behaviors. For the 3rd participant, the B phase was more effective than the C phase (book + reminder). In addition, target behaviors for all 3 participants remained at a low level, even after the social story interventions were discontinued. This suggests that irreversible learning of appropriate behaviors may have occurred during the course of the interventions. Title: "Use of a Social Story intervention to improve mealtime skills of an adolescent with Asperger syndrome" Author(s): Rebecca Bledsoe, Brenda Smith Myles, and Richard L. Simpson Journal: Autism: The International Journal of Research & Practice Issue: September 2003 (Volume 7, Issue 3) Author's Summary: This study assessed the utility of a Social Story intervention to improve the lunchtime eating behaviors of an adolescent diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Using an ABAB design, the Social Story program appeared to result in a decrease in the number of food and drink spills and an increase in the frequency of appropriate mouth-wiping during lunch at school. Title: "Decreasing Disruptive Behaviors of Children with Autism Using Social Stories" Author(s): Dorothy Scattone, Susan M. Wilczynski, Ron P. Edwards, and Brian Rabian Journal: Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders Issue: December 2002 (Volume 32, Issue 6) Author's Summary: Few studies have been conducted in the area of social stories, and the limitations of these studies (i.e., improper story construction and methodological confounds) raise questions about effectiveness of social story interventions. This study examined the effectiveness of properly constructed social stories that have been introduced into the natural environment to target the disruptive behavior of three children with autism. A multiple baseline design across participants was employed, and a decrease in disruptive behavior was evidenced when the intervention was implemented for all participants. Based on the results of the present research, future areas of investigation outlining the limitations and potential benefits of social stories were discussed. Title: "The Use of Social Stories as a Preventative Behavioral Intervention in a Home Setting with a Child with Autism" Author(s): Peggy A. Lorimer, Richard L. Simpson, Brenda Smith Myles, and Jennifer B. Ganz Journal: Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions Issue: Winter 2002 (Volume 4, Issue 1) Author's Summary: Determines the efficacy of a social story intervention implemented in a home setting to decrease precursors to tantrum behavior in a 5-year-old boy with autism in the United States. Incorporation of minischedule into a social story; Revelation of positive and socially valid results; Response of the boy to cognitive method. Title: "Using Social Stories to Enhance Behaviour in Children with Autistic Spectrum Difficulties" Author(s): Caroline Smith Journal: Educational Psychology in Practice Issue: December 2001 (Volume 17, Issue 4) Author's Summary: This paper describes teachers, parents and educational psychologists working together to meet the needs of children and young people with autistic spectrum difficulties in mainstream and special schools. It examines the impact on children's social behaviour of a two-session workshop for groups of parents/carers, teachers and learning support assistants about 'Social Stories' (Gray, 1994). It highlights the contribution that Social Stories can make to the management of a wide range of social behaviours...Issues raised by the use of Social Stories and their benefits for children with autistic spectrum difficulties are considered. The paper concludes by describing the developing diversity in the use of Social Stories and invites those working in the field to contribute to the body of information about their strengths and limitations. Title: "Social Stories, Written Text Cues, and Video Feedback: Effects on Social Communication of Children with Autism" Author(s): Kathy S. Theimann and Howard Goldstein Journal: Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis Issue: Winter 2001 (Volume 34, Issue 4) Author's Summary: Focuses on the social communication involving the written text, pictorial cuing with video feedback to children with autism and social deficits. Implementation of treatment through the visual cues; Effects of combining different visual cues in social communication; Recommendations on using visually cued instruction to guide social language development. Title: "Using Social Stories and Comic Strip Conversations to Interpret Social Situations for an Adolescent with Asperger Syndrome" Author(s): Mary Franey Rogers and Brenda Smith Myles Journal: Intervention in School & Clinic Issue: May 2001 (Volume 36, Issue 5) Author's Summary: Discusses the use of social stories and comic strip conversations with a young man with Asperger Syndrome (AS). Decrease in the number of redirections needed by the resource room teacher to get the young man to class; Reflection time offered by the social stories and cartoon strips when interpreting social situations that are primarily verbal. Title: "Evaluating Effects of a Social Story Intervention on a Young Girl with Autism" Author(s): Christine Norris and John Dattilo Journal: Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities Issue: Fall 1999 (Volume 14, Issue 3) Author's Summary: There has been little evaluation of the effectiveness of socIal stories. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a social story intervention on the social behaviors of an 8-year-old girl with autism who attended an inclusive second-grade classroom. Several observations were used to establish a baseline level on her inappropriate social interactions that occurred during lunch (e.g., talking or singing to herself, making noises). Following baseline, individualized social stories that addressed her inappropriate social interactions, as well as appropriate alternative behaviors, were introduced to the girl. Although data were somewhat variable, her inappropriate social interactions during lunch decreased by approximately 50% from the first day to the last day of the social story intervention. This study provides insights into the relationship between a social story intervention and social behaviors occurring between a student with autism and her peers. Title: "A Multimedia Social Story Intervention: Teaching Skills to Children with Autism" Author(s): Taku Hagiwara and Brenda Smith Myles Journal: Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities Issue: Summer 1999 (Volume 14, Issue 2) Author's Summary: Examines a study on the teaching of skills to children with autism using a multimedia social story program. Effects of social stories to children with autism; Methods and participants; Procedure in developing social stories; Implications for educational practitioners. Title: "The Use of Social Stories to Reduce Precursors to Tantrum Behavior in a Student with Autism" Author(s): Shari Kuttler and Brenda Smith Myles Journal: Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities Issue: Fall 1998 (Volume 13, Issue 3) |