Four-year-old Sarah loved school and wanted so badly to ride the bus to kindergarten. That summer, in anticipation of the year starting, she would excitedly ask about taking the bus. The first day arrived, as did the bus, right on time. Sarah froze with fear on her front steps, unprepared for the loud noise of the engine, the flashing lights, and how to engage the kids already on the bus.
Sarah’s mother researched and tried a valuable tool in helping people navigate difficult and new social situations: the Social Story. Here is an example storyboard for Sarah, and her quest to overcome her roadblock of riding the bus:
Most of us take for granted the social skill that is to anticipate how others will react, think, and behave in social interactions. Those who experience roadblocks often find it difficult to predict the actions of others, which sometimes leads to fear or erratic behavior. Topics offer a bit of distance between the person and the new or difficult social scheme, and allows for frequent social skills practice at the individual’s own, comfortable pace.
In Sarah’s case, she worked with teachers, speech pathologists, and her parents, with a fun story about riding the bus, until she felt comfortable enough to take the next step. It helped her navigate around her roadblock in her own time, and on her own terms.
When individuals face social roadblocks, they often need help in a new or overwhelming situation, like socializing at a birthday party, or riding the bus for the first time. Examples of social stories as comic strips provide a boost in confidence through repetition, which makes these difficult experiences less scary, and more predictable.
The concept of Social Stories was created by Carol Gray in 1991 to use with both adults and children with autism. She hoped that it would better assist them with a variety of situations in more detail. Although her targeted audience was autistic people, Gray had specifically created it for those with higher communication skills. Today the use of Carol Gray social stories has expanded to all types of students, including those with significant communication deficits.
The expansion of use to include individuals on all points of the autism spectrum has helped it make the shift towards what we know today. A commonly used and interchangeable term for these stories is Comic Strip Conversations. The term comes from the visual similarity to a comic strip. Storyboards have the same visual setup, but the author has the benefit of choosing the tone. The storyboard layout allows for each part or step to have its own cell, implying that each cell is its own piece of the story. It also creates a more manageable product for the students using it.
| Type | Example Topics |
|---|---|
| Daily Living Skills |
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| Unexpected Events |
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| Transitions |
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| Adolescent Skills |
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| Social Situations |
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They are a versatile and effective tool that uses words and pictures to help individuals understand and navigate social situations. While they were initially developed for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), their benefits extend far beyond this group, making them a valuable resource for anyone facing social difficulties. Here, we will delve into the wide-ranging advantages of using these tools and explore how their long-term positive impacts can be measured.
Many stories can be used again and again for different people, but likely you will want to have a more personalized social story to help specific individuals with their own personal roadblocks. A safety social story is meant to be instructive and safe, so it is important not to make a typical comic or too complicated. There are a few tips to consider to make it effective:
When you create social stories, writing about a given situation takes special consideration because the basis of the story comes from the perspective of the individual facing the roadblock. Determine the goal before beginning: what problem do you want to solve?
Is there a situation that causes her to act out or meltdown? Is there a scenario from which he tries to escape? Are there planned changes to a routine?
The answers to questions such as these make great subjects for social stories. Finding the underlying issue might require a little digging by interviewing teachers, friends, parents, and others with unique insight into the roadblock. Once you identify the problem, you can look for ways to address it.
If an autistic child has severe anxiety over a change in routine, choose one situation, such as a dental appointment, and make a simple, but detailed, narrative. Be sure to focus on a few key points:
For Sarah, the unexpected noise of the bus was difficult to process, and she wasn’t sure what to say to kids or the driver. A social narrative example helped her anticipate the normal bus noise, gave her suggestions of greetings for the driver and the students, and applauded her efforts for taking the step of riding the bus.
The goals of using social stories samples are creating a greater social awareness, offering a level of comfort and familiarity, and sometimes suggesting possible behaviors and connections. Encourage a more positive outlook and lower anxieties by showing the individual being successful and socially engaged. For stories that explain daily living skills, the focus is on the individual and empowering them to take action for themselves. Social stories examples that involve interactions with other people should be approachable and reassuring. In either case, use positive language to ensure the individual feels safe and can be successful.
Keep it simple and in the present tense, breaking down the scenario into as many smaller steps as necessary. Be very specific with possible actions and phrases.
There are four types of sentences used to tell social stories:
| Descriptive Sentences | Address the "wh" questions:
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| Perspective Sentences | Give insight into how others feel or what others are thinking. For example, "The other kids on the bus are excited about school and happy to see Sarah each morning!" |
| Directive Sentences | Provide response suggestions specific to the individual using the story. Give gentle directions like, "Sarah tries to..." |
| Control Sentences | Use as a reminder to help recall the information in the social story. |
Social stories come in as many lengths, styles, and varieties as there are subjects. Depending on the age of the person reading, it may include photographs of the individual, or of actual locations or objects, for reference. Social stories for teens or adults, more complex pictures may be used, but keep in mind the need for simplicity. Images with busy backgrounds or intricate details might be distracting, and take away from the overall lesson of the story. When in doubt, keep it simple.
The free library of scenes and characters on Storyboard That is always growing, allowing for endless combinations. The characters are editable so they can be made to resemble the specific student(s) that the stories are created for. The creator can also upload their own images, which can be helpful for those students who require explicit visual representation (the car HAS to be a picture of Mom’s actual car).
Please remember for safety and privacy reasons, Storyboard That does not permit the uploading of photos of children under 13 years old.
The best time to introduce a story is when excitement levels are low and focus can remain high. Sharingwith family and friends generates a positive connection with the scenario. Developing confidence is the key to social story success in navigating a roadblock, so introducing a social story after a negative experience could be seen as a punishment for bad behavior, not working towards a positive goal. And, since the nature of social roadblocks may change, so may your story. Tweak as needed and often to keep current and relevant.
Whether the individual faces a common social roadblock, similar to Sarah’s fear of riding the bus, or understanding divorce, or something unique like maneuvering a specific doctor’s appointment, social stories offer older children, teachers, parents, therapists, and others a proven effective tool in the quest to provide individuals an insight and understanding of the social world.
Upload pre made stories that cover a different skills, examples, and lots of ideas at no additional cost. Storyboard That's social story creator allows you and your students to create your own social stories in your own voice. You can even use your own photos!
Social stories are brief and straightforward tales that assist individuals in navigating social challenges that autistic children may face, such as attending a party or taking the school bus for the first time. By reinforcing the message through repetition, unique social stories can boost confidence and make these difficult situations less intimidating and more manageable for the child.
Carol Gray developed Social Stories in 1991 to support individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including those with advanced communication abilities.
To write an effective social story, it is helpful to begin with a clear objective, select a specific scenario to address, adopt a positive and supportive tone, use uncomplicated words and simple text, add visual supports, include accurate information, and customize the story to meet the unique needs of the individual.
When creating a social story for autistic children and other children, it's important to maintain an overall patient and reassuring tone. It should accurately convey information using a descriptive and meaningful process, format, voice, and content that will have positive results and that's safe both physically and emotionally for the intended audience.
An example of a social story in the classroom is one about raising your hand when you want a turn to speak. Others include walking in the classroom and in other areas of the school, preparing for unexpected events, and how to share with other children.
While there are variations and adaptations, the four main types are: descriptive, perspective, directive, and control.
A good social story is one that is tailored to the individual's specific needs, preferences, and challenges. To be effective, it should also be clear and concrete, positive, predictable, respectful, and meaningful.