A treatment strategy to improve social behavior is using 'social stories,' developed by Carol Gray.   This involves presenting short stories to teach socially appropriate behaviors.   These stories are used to teach the individual to understand the behavior of themselves and others better.   For information about social stories, contact Carol Gray at: Consultant to Students with Autism, Jenison Public Schools, 8375 20th, Jenison, MI 49428, U.S.A.

      Social Stories were used with Matthew to help ease the frustration of having his routine disrupted.   For example, on a day that his speech class was canceled, the teacher or aid would write a short social story and then read it to him/have him read it to them once to twice a day starting about 3 days before the disruption.   What the social story told was the story of how Matthew wouldn't be "going to speech" on so and so day and how he would "do this" on that day and would not get upset about the change and then it told of how the routine would pick back up on so and so day.   Letting him know that things would get back to normal.   The social stories were used simply to prepare him for a change in routine, though they are useful in many situations, this was the one we chose to use it on.

Here's a bit from Carol Gray's "The Social Story Kit".   For more information, visit the website above.

     Social stories describe social situations in terms of relevant social cues, and often define appropriate responses.   Social stories present social information to students with austim, while minimizing the social aspects of teacher/student interactions involved in instruction.   In this way, social information is presented as clearly as possible, with limited interference from the social interactions involved in traditional teaching.

     Social stories are written in response to individual student needs.  These needs may be identified through:

1.  observations of situations which are difficult for the student;
2.  the student's responses to questions about social situations which indicate the student is "misreading" a given situation; and/or
3. social skills assessments and curriculums.  

      Based on identified needs, social stories may:

1. describe any situation in terms of the relevant social cues and/or correct responses in a non-threatening format;
2. personalize or emphasize social skills covered in any social skills training program;
3. translate goals (possibly written by students) into understandable steps;
4. explain the "fictional" qualities of commercial stories/movies/etc., identifying realistically appropriate from inappropriate interactions depicted in those stories;
5. teach routines, as well as helping students to accommodate changes in routine or "forgetting";
6. teach academic material in a realistic, social "backdrop", assisting students in relating learned skills to real situations; and/or
7. address a wide variety of behaviors, including aggression, fear, and obsessions and compulsions.

     Social stories are usually written by parents or professionals.

A Sample Social Story