Sunshine and Superhereos: Social Stories part 2

I left you last time with a question...how are Social Stories being used? I'm sure you are hanging on the edge of your seat with anticipation waiting for the answer, so I will fill you in on what I've found.

Like I mentioned before, Social Stories originated in Michigan by a woman named Carol Gray. She developed these stories when working with students on the autism spectrum to aid them in their day to day interactions. Since the release of Thinking in Pictures, the biography of Dr. Temple Grandin, many of us have come to know that people with autism are often visual learners. They need to see something to learn it best. Ms Gray took that concept and made books, with visual cues, to introduce skills to students in a meaningful way. The special education community has taken the concept of Social Stories and made them an integral part of the learning process. I have seen stories used to teach young children about feelings, safety, and routines. Teaching empathy in early childhood environments eliminates so many challenging behaviors, and there are dozens of stories available to reinforce this skill. Safety is another huge concern, as we hear so often about children with autism eloping. Teaching them where running is appropriate, how to stay within a certain area, who their safe people are saves so many lives each year.

For older children, Social Stories are great to help them understand subtleties of social situations. Some of the titles that caught my eye were "The Gym Locker Room" and "Urinal Etiquette."  Also, as we age it becomes harder and harder to know when someone is a friend or not, so stories can lay the groundwork to navigating friendships.

Do adults use social stories? What I found in my research was that adults tend to graduate to a form of Social Stories called Comic Strip Conversations (also created by Carol Gray). These get more into the nitty-gritty of conversations, what is being said vs. what the other person might be feeling, reading body language, that sort of thing.

Looking at all of the different types of Social Stories I feel like the impetus was keeping folks safe. Whether it is through emotional control, choosing our actions and reactions, sticking to a safe routine, or knowing who is safe to spend time with, we are sharing information so that people with autism spectrum disorders can be a part of the world with as few limitations as possible.

Next steps...how to write a Social Story :)