Understanding Social Stories: A Complete Guide to Teaching Social Skills and Positive Behaviours
- Mable Green
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 18 hours ago
Learn what Social Stories are and how they help children—especially those with autism—understand social situations, manage behaviour, and build confidence.
Social stories are brief narratives developed by Carol Gray in the early 1990s to help people understand and navigate social situations. They use a specific and consistent structure to convey appropriate social behaviours, expectations, and responses clearly and understandably.
Key components of a Social Story
Descriptive Sentences: These sentences provide factual information about the situation, the people involved, and the setting. For example, "At school, we have playtime after lunch."
Perspective Sentences: These sentences describe the feelings, thoughts, or beliefs of others in the situation. For example, "Other children feel happy when they play together."
Directive Sentences: These sentences suggest appropriate responses or actions the individual can take. They are usually written in a positive and supportive way. For example, "I can ask if I can join a game."
Affirmative Sentences: These sentences reinforce the importance of the social rule or behaviour taught. They often express a commonly shared value or opinion. For example, "Playing nicely makes everyone feel good."
Control Sentences: Sometimes included, these sentences are written by the individual to help them remember and apply the Story. For example, "I can remember to use my words when I want to play with someone."
Social stories are tailored to the individual's specific needs, using language and concepts appropriate for their age and cognitive level. They can prepare individuals for new experiences, teach social norms, or help them cope with changes in routine or challenging situations.
Social stories are effective because they can break down complex social interactions into manageable and understandable parts, making it easier for individuals with ASD to learn and apply appropriate social behaviours.
Some Common Scenarios for Social Stories
Social stories can be applied to various situations to help individuals understand and navigate social interactions, routines, and expectations. Some common scenarios where social stories can be beneficial:
New or Unfamiliar Situations:
Starting School: Explaining what to expect on the first day, who the teachers are, and what the daily schedule looks like.
Visiting a Doctor or Dentist: Describing what will happen during the visit, who they will meet, and how to handle any anxiety.
Social Skills and Interaction:
Making Friends: Teaching how to initiate a conversation, join a group activity, or respond to others.
Sharing and Turn-Taking: Explaining why sharing is important and how to wait for their turn.
Changes in Routine:
Moving to a New House: Describing the moving process, the new house, and what will remain the same.
Substitute Teacher: Preparing for a day when different activities are planned, or other adults are in charge.
Challenging Behaviours:
Handling Frustration: Offering strategies for managing emotions and expressing feelings appropriately.
Using Kind Words: Teaching the importance of speaking kindly to others and the impact of words.
Daily Living Skills:
Toilet Training: Guiding through the steps of going to the toilet and what to do afterwards.
Getting Dressed: Explaining the steps involved in choosing clothes and dressing independently.
Community Outings:
Going to the Grocery Store: Detailing what to expect, how to behave, and what they might see.
Dining at a Restaurant: Explaining the process of ordering food, waiting, and table manners.
Coping with Emotions:
Feeling Anxious: Providing strategies to manage anxiety and what to do when they feel overwhelmed.
Dealing with Anger: Offering appropriate ways to express and manage anger.
Transitioning Between Activities:
Ending Screen Time: Preparing to transition from playing a video game to another activity.
Bedtime Routine: Outlining the steps and expectations for getting ready for bed.
A versatile tool that can be adapted to various contexts to support individuals in understanding and managing social expectations, routines, and behaviours. This is particularly beneficial for individuals with ASD, but can be helpful for anyone needing support in social comprehension and interaction.
What do Social Stories help with
Social stories provide a structured and straightforward way to help individuals. It is mainly those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or other developmental disabilities who understand and manage social situations. Here are some reasons why you might use a social story:
Enhance Social Understanding:
Clarify Expectations: Social stories explain expectations in a specific situation, helping individuals understand social norms and behaviours.
Reduce Anxiety: A clear outline of what will happen through social stories can help reduce anxiety and fear of the unknown.
Teach Social Skills:
Improve Interactions: Social stories can teach essential social skills, such as sharing, initiating conversations, taking turns, and making friends.
Model Appropriate Behaviour: They provide examples of appropriate behaviour in various scenarios, helping individuals learn how to respond correctly.
Facilitate Transitions:
Smooth Transitions: They can help individuals transition between activities or environments by explaining what to expect and how to cope with changes.
Prepare for New Experiences: Social stories can prepare individuals for new or unfamiliar experiences, such as visiting the dentist, starting a new school, or going on a trip.
Support Behavioural Management:
Address Challenging Behaviours: Social stories can address specific behavioural issues by explaining why certain behaviours are problematic and suggesting alternative actions.
Promote Positive Behaviour: They reinforce positive behaviours and provide a framework for understanding the consequences of actions.
Enhance Communication:
Improve Understanding: Social stories use simple, clear language and visuals to enhance understanding, especially for individuals with communication difficulties.
Encourage Expression: They can help individuals express their feelings and thoughts by providing a reference for appropriate language and responses.
Increase Independence:
Promote Self-Regulation: Social stories can teach self-regulation techniques like handling frustration or managing anxiety.
Support Daily Living Skills: They can guide individuals through daily routines and tasks, promoting greater independence.
Build Confidence:
Empower Individuals: Social stories can provide clear guidance and expectations, empowering individuals to navigate social situations with more confidence and less reliance on others.
Reinforce Success: They can celebrate successes and reinforce positive outcomes, boosting self-esteem.
Individualised Support:
Tailored to Needs: Social stories can be customised to meet specific needs and individual comprehension levels, making them highly practical and relevant.
Flexible and Adaptable: They can be adapted for various situations, from everyday routines to complex social interactions.
Invaluable for teaching and reinforcing social understanding, skills, and behaviours. They provide a consistent and supportive framework that helps individuals navigate their social world more effectively and confidently.
Designing a social story
This involves several vital steps to ensure it is effective and tailored to the individual's needs. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a social story:
Gather Information
Determine the Goal: Identify the specific social situation, behaviour, or skill you want to address. Be clear about the objective of the Story.
Example: Helping a child understand what to do during a fire drill at school.
Understand the Situation: Gather detailed information about the situation, including what happens, who is involved, and what the expectations are.
Know the Individual: Consider the individual's age, comprehension level, interests, and sensory sensitivities.
Structure the Social Story
Title: Give the Story a clear and descriptive title.
Example: "What to Do During a Fire Drill"
Descriptive Sentences: Provide factual information about the situation.
Example: "Sometimes, we have fire drills at school to practice what to do if there is a fire."
Perspective Sentences: Describe the feelings, thoughts, or beliefs of others.
Example: "The teachers want to make sure everyone is safe."
Directive Sentences: Suggest appropriate responses or actions.
Example: "When the fire alarm rings, I will stand up and line up quietly with my class."
Affirmative Sentences: Reinforce the importance of the behaviour or rule.
Example: "Lining up quickly and quietly helps everyone stay safe."
Control Sentences (optional): Written by the individual to help remember the Story.
Example: "I can remember to stay calm and follow my teacher during a fire drill."
Write in Simple Language
Use Clear, Concise Language: Ensure the language is simple and appropriate for the individual's comprehension level.
Use First-Person Perspective: Write from the perspective of the individual.
Example: "I will stay calm and listen to my teacher."
Include Visuals
Add Pictures or Symbols: Use images, symbols, or illustrations to support the text and enhance understanding.
Example: Include pictures of the fire alarm, the class lining up, and the exit route.
Review and Personalise
Review for Accuracy and Clarity: Make sure the Story accurately reflects the situation and is easy to understand.
Personalise: Tailor the Story to the individual's needs, preferences, and experiences.
Example: Use the child's name and include details about their classroom or school.
Practice and Reinforce
Read the Story Together: Read the Story with the individual multiple times before the situation occurs.
Discuss and Role-Play: Discuss the Story and role-play the actions to reinforce understanding.
Review Regularly: Revisit the Story regularly to reinforce the behaviour or skill.
Example Social Story
Title: "What to Do During a Fire Drill"
Text: "Sometimes, we have fire drills at school to practice what to do if a fire occurs. When the fire alarm rings, it will be loud. The teachers want to make sure everyone is safe. When I hear the fire alarm, I will stand up and line up quietly with my class. My teacher will lead us outside to a safe place. I will stay calm and listen to my teacher. Lining up quickly and quietly helps everyone stay safe. I remember staying calm and following my teacher during a fire drill."
Visuals:
Picture of a fire alarm.
Picture of children lining up.
Picture of a teacher leading the class outside.
Social Story helps individuals understand and manage social situations more easily and confidently.
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