Povesti Sociale

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hese guidelines give detailed information about the structure, content and implementation

of social stories.

The information on this page is based on Carol Gray's social story guidelines, published in The

new social story book (1994), and can also be found onThe Gray Center for Social Learning and

Understanding website.

Picture the goal

Consider the social story's purpose. For example, the goal may be to teach a child to cover their

mouth when coughing.

Now think about what the child needs to understand to achieve this goal. For example, they need

to understand why covering their mouth when coughing is important, ie it stops germs from

being spread which may make other people sick.

Gather information

The next stage is to gather information about the person including their age, interests, attentionspan, level of ability and understanding.

As well as this, collect information about the situation you want to describe in your socialstory. For example: where does the situation occur, who is it with, how does it begin and end,

how long does it last, what actually happens in the situation and why?

Tailor the text

A social story is made up of several different types of sentences that are presented in a particularcombination. Sentence types are described in the Figure 1 below:

Figure 1

Sentencetype

What is it? Examples

Descriptive Answers the 'wh' questions wheredoes the situation occur, whois itwith, whathappens and why?

Descriptive sentences need topresent information from anaccurate and objectiveperspective.

Christmas Day is 25 December.

Most children go to school.

Sometimes I get sick.

Perspective Refers to the opinions, feelings,ideas, beliefs or physical/mental

My Mum and Dad know when it istime for me to go to bed.
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well being of others. Teachers like it when students raisetheir hand to ask a question in theclassroom.

Some children believe in Santa

Claus.

Directive Gently offers a response or rangeof responses for behaviour in aparticular situation. It is importantthat these sentences have apositive focus and are constructed

in ways which allow flexibility (ieavoid statements like I must or Ihave to).

I will try to cover my mouth when Icough.

I might like to play outside duringlunchtime.

When I am angry, I can:

take three deep breaths

go for a walk

jump on the trampoline.

Affirmative Statements that enhance themeaning of the previous sentence(which may be a descriptive,perspective or directive sentence)and can be used to emphasise theimportance of the message or toprovide reassurance to the

person.

(I will try to hold an adults handwhen crossing the road).This isvery important.

(Thunder can be very loud).This isok.

Co-operative Sentences which identify howothers may be of assistance tothe person(developed by DrDemetrious Haracopos inDenmark).

Mum and Dad can help me washmy hands.

An adult will help me when I crossthe road.

My teacher will help me to try tostay calm in class.

Control Statements written by the personwith autism to provide personalmeaning to a particular situationand to assist them to recall andapply information.

My body needs food several timesper day; just like a steam trainneeds coal to stay running.

Incomplete sentences, whichallow the person to guess the

My name is ___________


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Partial next step in a situation, and maybe used with descriptive,perspective, directive, affirmative,co-operative and controlsentences.

(descriptive sentence)

Mum and Dad will feel____________ if I finish all mydinner (perspective sentence)

The sentence types described in the above table need to be put together in a particularcombination to make a social story (referred to as the social story ratio).

In each story, there should be no more than one directive or control sentence and at least two (but

no more than five) of the remaining sentence types.

The following is an example social story fromMy social stories book(2002, p.76), whichillustrates the use of a variety of sentence types (indicated in brackets) using the social story

ratio.

What are unexpected noises?

There are many noises (descriptive).

Sometimes noises surprise me (descriptive). They are unexpected (descriptive).

Some unexpected noises are; telephones, doorbells, barking dogs, breaking glass, vacuum

cleaners, slamming doors, honking horns, and thunder (descriptive).

These sounds are okay (affirmative). I will try to stay calm when I hear unexpected noises

(directive).

Adults can tell me when the noise will stop (co-operative).

Additional points to consider:

social stories need to have an introduction, body and conclusion and should use positive

language (ie where possible, describe what should happen, rather than what should not) stories need to be as accurate as possible and should include words like sometimes and

usually for situations where a particular outcome is not guaranteed

stories should appeal to the interests of the person for whom they are written. Avoid

using words that may cause the person anxiety or distress

the content and presentation of social stories should be appropriate to the person's age

and level of understanding.


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The following are some pointers for tailoring social stories for people of different ages and

abilities.

If writing for a child, write from the first person perspective (Iwill try to wait until it is

daytime before Iget up in the morning). Pair age-appropriate photographs, picture symbols or drawings with text to help people

who have difficulty reading or for younger children, as in Figure 2 at the bottom of this

page. For more information on where to find and how to use picture symbols, seeVisualsupports.

When writing for young people or adults, use the third person perspective (they, he, she)

and adjust language and presentation accordingly. You could use a smaller font size, or

present the story in columns as in a newspaper article.

Teach with the title

Select a title which accurately reflects the overall meaning of the story. Titles can be a question(What is lightning?) or a statement (Lightning), but need to communicate the most important

concept of the story.

Figure 2: How to wash my hands

People usually wash their hands using soap and water. There are five steps I will try to follow

when washing my hands. An adult can help me learn these steps.
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Social stories are short descriptions of a particular situation, event or activity, which

include specific information about what to expect in that situation and why.

Social stories have a huge range of applications, including:

to develop self-care skills (eg how to clean teeth, wash hands or get dressed), social skills(eg sharing, asking for help, saying thank you, interrupting) and academic abilities

to help a person with autism to understand how others might behave or respond in a

particular situation, and therefore how they might be expected to behave

to help others understand the perspective of a person with autism and why they may

respond or behave in a particular way

to help a person to cope with changes to routine and unexpected or distressing events (egabsence of teacher, moving house, thunderstorms)

to provide positive feedback to a person about an area of strength or achievement in order

to develop self-esteem

as a behavioural strategy (eg what to do when angry, how to cope with obsessions).

The following is an example of a social story to help a child's understanding of nightmares fromCarol Gray's The new social stories book(1994).

Nightmares

Sometimes I may have a nightmare when I am sleeping. Nightmares are the same as a dream, but

more scary.

Events in nightmares do not really happen. They are like pictures in my mind.

It is all right if I am scared. I may try telling myself it is all in my mind. It is only a dream.

Adults can help children with nightmares, too. It is okay to ask an adult for help with nightmares.

When I wake up, I will see that I am all right.

How do social stories help people with autism?

If you're writing a social story for a person with autism, you'll need to think about how

they perceive different situations. This in turn can increase your understanding and

empathy (Gray, 1994).

Many people with autism are good at visual learning, and like social stories because

they're written down. Social stories can also be illustrated.

Social stories present information in a literal, 'concrete' way, which may improve aperson's understanding of a previously difficult or ambiguous situation or activity.


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Social stories can help with sequencing (what comes next in a series of activities) and

'executive functioning' (planning and organising) - difficulties experienced by many

people with autism.

By providing information about what might happen in a particular situation and some

guidelines for behaviour, you can increase structure in a person's life and thereby reduce

anxiety.

Who can benefit from social stories?

Originally designed for children at the higher functioning end of the autism spectrum, socialstories can also be helpful for young people and adults (Gray, 1994). In addition there is research

to suggest that people with autism who experience greater difficulties and associated learning

disabilities may benefit from the use of social stories (Swaggart et al, 1995).

The presentation and content of social stories can be adapted to meet different people's needs, as

discussed in the chapters below.

SOCIAL STORIES

by BarryK. MorrisB.ScWk

Children with autism experience difficulties with socialinteraction. The theory of mind

describes the problems they face in seeing the perspective of another person. A common strategy

for dealing with this is using socialstoriesto help individuals on the autism spectrum to readand understand socialsituations.

Appropriate socialbehaviors are explained in the form of a story. It was developed by Carol

Gray and seeks to include answers to questions that autistic persons may need to know to interactappropriately with others (for example, answers to who, what, when, where, and why

in socialsituations).

A socialstory is designed for the specific child and may include things the child values and is

interested in. For example, if a child likes dinosaurs, you could include dinosaurs as characters ina story about going to school, etc. Children with autism are often visual learners, so the story can

include drawings, pictures, and even real objects.

how a social story is put together

Carol Gray recommends a specific pattern to a socialstory. The pattern includes several

descriptive and perspective sentences.


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Descriptive sentences

Descriptive sentences describe what people do in particular socialsituations, and clearly define

where a situation occurs, who is involved, what they are doing, and why. An example of adescriptive sentence is Sometimes at school, the fire alarm goes off. The fire alarm is a loud bell

that rings when there is a real fire or when we are practicing getting out of the building. Theteachers, janitors, and principal all help us to line up and go outside quickly. The fire alarm isloud so that everyone can hear it. Sometimes I think it is too loud.

Perspective sentences

This type of sentence presents others reactions to a situation so that the individual can learn how

othersperceive various events. These describe the internal states of people, their thoughts,

feelings, and mood. Perspective sentences present others reactions to a situation so that theindividual can learn how others perceive various events. Example of a perspective sentence:

The fire alarm does not bother all people. The teachers, janitors, and principal may not

understand how much the fire alarm bothers me. Sometimes they get mad if I do not movequickly or get confused. Their job is to get me outside quickly so I am safe in case there is a realfire.

Directive sentences

Directive sentences direct a person to an appropriate desired response. They state, in positive

terms, what the desired behavior is. Given the nature of the directive sentence, care needs to be

taken to use them correctly and not to limit the individuals choice. The greater the number ofdescriptive statements, the more opportunity for the individual to supply his/her own responses

to the socialsituation. The greater the number of directive statements, the more specific the cues

for how the individual should respond.

These are always stated in positive terms and are individualized statements of desired responses.Directive sentences often follow descriptive sentences, sharing information about what is

expected as a response to a given cue or situation. Directive sentences often begin with I can

try I will try or I will work on. Example of a directive sentence: I will work on

staying calm when the fire alarm rings.

Care should be taken not to have too many directive and/or control sentences turn asocialstoryinto an anti-socialstory of demands and commands.

Control sentences

These sentences identify strategies the person can use to facilitate memory and comprehension of

the socialstory. They are usually added by the individual after reviewing the socialstory. A

control sentence should be written or inspired by the child. Example of a control sentence:

When the fire alarm rings, will think about a the dinosaurs following each other out of the forestto escape the burning meteors.


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When the story is put together, you may include pictures that mean something to the child and

will help them remember the story. The story can be used as a bed-time story, a story for story

time, etc. It may be read daily by the child or read to the child at various times during the week.Carol Gray reports fantastic results with her stories.

Dont have too many directive and control sentences

Two other types of sentences are sometime used: directive and control sentences. These

sentences may not be used at all and if they are, Carol Gray recommends using them in the ration

of 01 directive or control sentence(s) for every 25 descriptive and/or perspective sentences.

Carol Gray developed the socialstory ratio which defines the proportion of directive or control

sentences to descriptive and/or perspective sentences. She suggests that for every one directive orcontrol sentence, there should be two to five descriptive and/or perspective sentences. Directive

or control sentences may be omitted entirely depending on the person and his/her needs.

How to use social stories

If the individual with autism can read, the parent can introduce the story be reading it twice. The

person then reads it once a day independently. When the individual with autism cannot read, theparent can read the story on a videotape or audio tape with cues for the person to turn the page

while reading. These cues could be a bell or verbal statement when it is time to turn the page.

The person listens and reads along with the story once a day. When individual with autism

develops the skills displayed in the socialstory, the story can be faded. This can be done by

reducing the number of times the story is read a week and only reviewing the story once a month

or as necessary. Another way of fading is to rewrite the story, gradually removing directivesentences from the story.

social stories can be used for many purposes

Socialstoriescan be used for more than learning how to interact in socialsituations. They can

be used to learn new routines, activities, and how to respond appropriately to feelings like angerand frustration. While studies are currently assessing the effectiveness of socialstories, they

appear to be a promising method for improving the socialbehaviors of autistic individuals.

What does research say about social stories?Research to date indicates that socialstoriesmay be effective in improving adaptive behavior or

reducing problem behavior, especially if used with applied behavior analysis methods. However,children on the autism spectrum will only benefit from this approach if they are able to

communicate in sentences that connect different ideas to each other.


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Several studies with small groups of school age children on the autism spectrum have reported

benefits from using socialstories(Mirenda 2001). Socialstoriesare seen as effective as long as

they are suited to the childs communication skills (Richards 2000). As with many interventionsfor Autism Spectrum Disorders, more empirical research with larger numbers of children

involved is needed to fully qualify socialstoriesas an evidence-based intervention.

Examples of social sentences

Not listening

Its important to look at people and stop what Im doing when they have something to tell me.

Sometimes grown-ups tell me very important things that I need to know.

If I dont look & listen I might miss something important and make the grown-ups angry.

I know its wrong to keep doing what Im doing when grown-ups want me to listen.I will listen to grown-ups when they talk to me.

Tuning into people

I only think about what people are saying or doing.

When I remember to do this, I make friends and I know whats going on.

If I think about other things I can get distracted, I might even get stuck.People will think Im weird and they wont want to play with me.

I will always think about what people are saying and doing.

Interrupting

I cant interrupt when others are having a conversation or are busy with something.

Its not politeIf its extremely important, I can tap the person on the shoulder and say excuse me, otherwise I

must be patient and wait until theyre finished.

Interrupting makes people angry because you stop them from talking and they might forget whatthey were talking about.

Everyone deserves to talk without being interrupted.

Grown-ups like polite childrenTheyre especially proud of children who do not interrupt.

Sometimes I might think its important and the grown-up will tell me its not. If that happens,I

need to wait patiently.

Personal space

When I talk to people I need to give them their space and stay away from their faces.When people come too close it makes other people uncomfortable.

Everybody needs space.

When I make people uncomfortable, they want to get away from me.

They might not want to ever talk to me again.


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When I give people enough space, I get to play with and talk to people, I make friends and have

fun.

Time out

Sometimes grown-ups send me to a timeout when I dont listen.

What are you supposed to do in a timeout?

What do grown-ups think if you dont listen? A: They think I dont know how to listen.

I can control myself so I dont get timeouts

I can listen to grown-ups.

No answer from others

Sometimes people dont answer when you talk to themMaybe they didnt hear you.

Maybe they werent paying attention.

Maybe they were busy.Maybe they just didnt want to talk to you.

Its not my job to make people answer me.

I can just forget about it, maybe theyll talk to me later.

Asking questions you know the answer to

Its not good to ask questions that I know the answer to.

Its boring to others.

People might think I cant remember the answers.

People might think Im dumb.

People might think Im testing them & that will make them feel angry.

If I want to talk to someone I can ask a question that I dont know the answer to.

Circle time

In circle time I listen to the teacher.If I talk to the other kids, the teacher will be upset because Im not paying attention to her.

The other kids might think Im a bad boy who doesnt listen to rules.

When I listen to the teacher, I learn.Learning is fun; I can remember to listen to the teacher.


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Leaving activity

I talk to the kids that Im playing with.

Its important not to talk to kids playing with other kidsIf I talk to kids playing other games, my friends will be sad, theyll think Im ignoring them.

They might not want to play with me next time.If I only talk to my friends we have fun togetherNext time theyll play with me again.

Calling out

Whenever I want to talk to someone, I need to walk over and speak to them.

Thats the polite thing to do.

When people call out, they disrupt the whole room; everyone gets distracted.If I call out, people might think I dont understand the way to do things.

Ill be able to walk over to people when I want to talk to them.

Leaving objects when an adult calls me

When a grown-up calls me I need to immediately stop what Im doing and go to them.

They might have something to tell me that I need to know right away.If I dontgo right away I wont hear what I need to know.

Grown-ups dont like children who dont listen.

I will listen to grown-ups.

When I feel I must talk

Sometimes I want to say things very badly, it feels like I have to say it right that second.Its importantto wait until the other person is finished talking.

Even though it feels important, it can wait.

They will listen to me better if I wait patiently.When I interrupt, it just angers people.

People wonder, whats wrong with him?, why cant he wait?

If I can wait, I can tell them later.

This autism fact sheet is under the copyright provisions of theGNU Free Documentation.

Sample Social Story for Lining Up at SchoolSometimes at school we 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 were going someplace fun, like
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out to recess.It is okay to get excited,but it is important to try to walk tothe line. Running can cause accidents,and my friends or I could get hurt.I will try my best to walk in the line.

Sometimes our class sits onthe carpet. (Descriptive)We sit on the carpet to listen to stories and for group lessons. (Descriptive)My friends are trying to listen so theycan enjoy the story. (Perspective)It may be hard for them to listen if someone is not sitting still. (Descriptive)I will try to sit still during our time on the carpet. (Directive)If I am having lots of trouble sitting still, I can a

sk my teacher for a quick move break, so I can getout my extra energy. (Directive to teachreplacement skill of requesting movement)If I show my teacher my move break card, she will know I want totake a move break. (showingthe card can be a Control device)Then she will let me take a movebreak. (Descriptive sentence)

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Using Social StoriesPrepared By Michelle Lockwood,Positive Behavior Support Specialist, NJCIE

What are Social Stories?Social Stories are tools, originated by Carol Gray, for teaching social

skills to children withautism and other disabilities. Social stories provide an individual with accurate information aboutthose situations that s/he may find difficult or confusing. The situation is described in detail and focusis given to a few key points: the important socialcues, the events and reactions the individual might
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expect to occur in the situation, the actions and reactions that might be expected of him, and why.The goal of the story is to increase the individuals understanding of, make hi

m more comfortable in,and possibly suggest some appropriate responses for the situation in question.Social Stories are relatively short, straightforward descriptions ofsocial situations, specificallydetailing what an individual might expect from the situation and whatmay be expected of him. CarolGray, the developer of Social Stories,has edited several books on Social Stories.Sample Social Story fo

r Lining Up at SchoolBenefits of Social StoriesSocial Stories also attempt to address the "theory of mind" impairment by giving individualssome perspective on the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of others. They help the individual betterpredict the actions and assumptionsof others. Social stories presentinformation on social situationsin a structured and consistent manner, a particularly appropriate approach for individuals with autism,

especially when dealingwith skills and behaviors which are as fluid as those involved in socialinteractions.Social Stories can also be helpful in teachingindividuals functionally-equivalent replacementsto inappropriate behaviors. For instance, if an individual uses inappropriate comments repeated froma favorite TV programto make peers laugh (functionof the comments is to make peers laugh), then a

Social Story describing additional ways to make peers laugh may be helpful in expanding theindividuals repertoire. The Social Story may also include in formation about where and when it isappropriate to make peers laugh.Sometimes at school we line up.We line up to go to the gym, to go tothe library, and to go out to recess.


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might be to write a story about crying, when andwhere it might not be appropriate, etc. However, a more effective approach might be to write a SocialStory about being scared or frustrated (if you have

determined that fear orfrustration are theunderlying reason for the behavior), and what thingsmight make him scared,and how he might goabout dealing with that.It is also very important that the expected response is clearly defined. To continue the aboveexample, one may be tempted to define the expected response as "Kevin will reduce the number ofincidences of crying each day," or something si

milar. A better expectation might be "We will teachKevin what he can do when hes scared or frustrated in order to helpKevin feel more comfortablewhen his assistant isout of the room."Writing Social StoriesUsing the Four Sentence TypesHaving determined those areas on which to focus,the writing of the Social Story can begin.

Again, a Social Story is usually a first-person,present-tense story used to

provide a student with asmuch information about a social situation as possible, so he is better prepared to face, and actappropriately in, that situation.There are four types of sentences used in a Social Story:1. Descriptive Sentences--objectively address the wh questions:wherethe situation takes place,whois involved,

whatthey are doing, andwhythey may be doing it.2. Perspective Sentences--give a glimpse into the minds of those involved in the story; they providedetails about the emotions and thoughts of others.


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3. Directive Sentences--suggest desired responses tailored to the individual.3

4. Control Sentences--used as something of a mnemonicdevice and often authored by the student

himself. This can be a sentence to help him rememberthe story or deal with the situation. Controlsentences may not used in every story. They maybe specifically paired witha visual cue to use toremind the individual of the focus of the story (skill beingtaught or explained).Carol Gray recommends that a ratio of at least three to five descriptive or perspective

sentences for every directive sentence be used foreach story. It is also important to usedevelopmentally-appropriate vocabulary and appropriate type size forthe individual. Try to makeeach story resemble as closely as possible the other literature the childmay be encountering at homeand school.Below is another sample social story. Each ofthe sentences in this story has been labeled to

illustrate each of thetypes of sentences.Sample Social Story for Sitting on the CarpetWriting Social StoriesVariations in Story Presentation StyleKeeping developmental appropriateness in mind, there are a variety ofpresentation styles andoptions that can be used to meet the needs of a variety of individuals.Several ideas about the visualpresentation of the Soci

al Story follow below.The individual (or parent/teacher) can hand-illustrate each page of the story with picturesrepresenting various sentences ofthe story. Photographs can also be used of the child and/orpeers/others in the social situation. These pictures can add interestand visual support for the


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presented ideas. Be wary, though, of images thatare too complex. Children with autism do notSometimes our class sits onthe carpet. (Descriptive)We sit on the carpet to listen to stories and for group lessons. (Descriptive)

My friends are trying to listen so theycan enjoy the story. (Perspective)It may be hard for them to listen if someone is not sitting still. (Descriptive)I will try to sit still during our time on the carpet. (Directive)If I am having lots of trouble sitting still, I can ask my teacher for a quick move break, so I can getout my extra energy. (Directive to teachreplacement skill of requesting movement)If I show my teacher my move br

eak card, she will know I want totake a move break. (showingthe card can be a Control device)Then she will let me take a movebreak. (Descriptive sentence)4

always focus on pictures as we would expect (they sometimes fail to focus on a prominent object inthe foreground in favor of some other itemin the background), so the pictures (photographs,especially) should be as visual uncluttered as possible.The text of the story can also

be augmented with pictures/picture symbols representing variouswords or ideas. Symbols can be substitutes for written words not yet mastered. Or a single, largesymbol can represent a complete idea on a particular page. As noted above, symbols can also beused as cues to remind the individualof skills/strategies from the story.The Social Story can be written into a powerpoint file, as one would create a power point

presentation (from Microsoft office). The childcan read his story byviewing the power pointpresentation on a computer. Someone can read the story and record this into the presentation, sothat the child can hear it. I-Movies can work similarly in using technology to engage the child in theSocial Story.

A reading of a particular story can be recorded


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on audio tape with a tone or verbal cue for thechild to turn the page. Also, a video could bemade of the student and peers acting out applicablescenes from the story. The text ofthe story should be edited in befo

re the applicable scene, and thewritten story presented along with the video when itis presented to the child, with the hope ofeventually fading the video and simply using the written text.

Additionally, the individual and an adult can role play or act out scenes from the storiesthemselves or with small figures, rooms made ofshoeboxes, etc. This too,can add interest andincrease understanding of the concepts for children w

ho are not strong readers.Using Social StoriesImplementation and MonitoringPrior to the introduction of astory, the story should be shared with as many people who areinvolved in the child's program aspossible. Accessing this variety ofviewpoints can call attention tofiner points that may have been overlooked or misstated in the initial authoring of a story. Before, or

shortly after, the introduction of the story to the child, those who may be involved in the situation orwith the skill targeted should be presented with a copy of the story.It is often helpful to actually have the child present the story to these other students, staff, orfamily members, and then to have those people readback or discuss the story with the child. Thiscan help the child understand that

everyone is on the same page, operating with similar assumptionsand expectations.Other students, staff, or family members should be encouraged torefer to the story and usethe visual cue from the story when appropriate (when the topic situation arises). As an example, if a


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child were currently working with a story about raising his hand to gain teacher attention before hespeaks out at school, the classroom teacher might want to refer back tothat story priorto circle time

and/or show him the cue for hand-raising from thestory (without verballyaddressing the behavior) ifhe begins to speak out.

A consistent schedule for reviewing each story should be maintained. Typically, the story isreviewed at least once per day during the initial implementation, usually right before the targetedsituation (e.g. right before the bell dismissing the class to recess, ifthe story is about the need to taketurns on the monkey bars).

5For some individuals, especially during the first few readings of thestory, the time just prior tothe situation may be too exciting or busy to completely hold their attention to focus on the story. Inthese situations, it may be helpfulto read the story early in the day and then simply review thehighlights and/or the visualcue prior to the activity.Social Stories should

notbe reviewed immediately afteran inappropriate behavior as aresponse to the use of the inappropriate behavior, orthe individual may begin to see reading the storyas a punishment for bad behavior.The effectiveness of the story should be monitored consistently. If after two-three weeks ofconsistently reviewing a particular story, there is little/no noticeable change, the story should be

reworked. Elements that maybe vague or confusing should beremoved or rewritten. Thefunction/motivation behind the behavior may need to bere-evaluated. Is thestory truly addressingthe reasonswhythe child may be confused


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or misreading a situation?As the child becomes more and more successfulwith the situations presented in a particularstory, that story canbegin to be faded out or changed to m

eet the new needs of the child. Thenumber of review sessions can be lessened from oncea day, to every other day, to once a week, totwice a month, and so on until theyare no longer needed. Or the directive sentences in the story canbe reduced or eliminated.It is also important not to confusing the individual by introducingseveral new Social Stories atthe same time. One story per month may be introduced. However, if the child is having trouble

mastering the story within the firstmonth, in addition to possibly reworking the original text, s/he mayneed more focused exposure to the first storys topic. A second story should not be introduced untilthe child achieves some degree of success with the first or a revised versionof this first story.

As each story is mastered, it should be kept visible in the child's environment for review whenneeded. Because the stories areso personalized, so much

aboutthe child, they can often befavorites, something the child might want to look through on his own, even when not working on themspecifically. A special basket or notebook of mastered stories may be helpful.Writing Social StoriesCommon MistakesCertain individuals may be pf the opinion that Social Stories do not work. Usually this isbecause the story, itself, is flawed. It is extremely important

to attempt to adhere to the aboveguidelines when writing a Social Story. Be cautious to avoid the following typical mistakes madewhen writing and implementing Social Stories.Sometimes authors attempt to makethe story too directive/uses


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too many directive sentencesin an effort to try to order the individual to change his/her behavior. Social Stories arenotmeant tocompel individuals to comply

with an adults wishes. They arenotscripts detailing consequences forinappropriate behavior. Therefore,the use of absolute, inflexible,or overly directive sentencesshould be avoided. Replace phrases like "I must"and "I will" with "I will try" or "I will work on" indirective sentences. "Usually" and "sometimes" should be used instead of "always" in perspective anddescriptive sentences.For similar reasons, using negative sentences is also

notrecommended. The focus or title of aSocial Story should never be NotHitting at School. Rather the story should identify and explain thesituation that usually causes theindividual to feel the need to hit (antecedents or triggers for hitting)6

so they are clear and less frustrating, as well asthe replacement behavior the child can use insteadof hitting to change the frustrating sit

uation or to deal with his feelings.There are several other common mistakes made when writing socialstories. As noted above,other mistakes include writing a story too vaguely, incorrectly identifying the function/motivationbehind the behavior, writing the story too punitively,making it a chore or a punishment to read thestory rather than a pleasant experience, not addressing the reasonwhy the child is misreading thesocial situation, not making the story interesting

enough for the individual towant to read, and notindividualizing the story enough by re-usinga story written for another individual.Often adults may be confused about what the appropriate/desired outcome will be when usingthe Social Story. Keep in mind that the goal of using Social Stories is to convey information to the


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individual. Using a story to try tomotivate a child, to chastise a child, to order or to force a child tocomply will not yielddesired results. NJCIE 2008

Documents

Povesti Sociale