The effect of social stories on the social interaction and behavior of students with autism spectrum disorder
Writer: Alana Ventimiglia
St. John Fisher University
translation: a. Survival of Ramadan
Study summary
What is the field of research in this study?
“The effect of social stories on the social interaction and behavior of students with autism spectrum disorder”
is a study highlighting the use of social stories as an intervention strategy for students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study includes previous studies and data collected from professionals working in the field of special education. It demonstrates the effectiveness of using social stories for the purpose of intervention and behavior change for students with autism spectrum disorder.
What is the importance of this study?
The importance of the study lies in generalizing the social stories strategy as an intervention that works to improve social interaction skills and acquire appropriate behaviors among students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Since autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder, Involves challenges with social interaction, speech, nonverbal communication, and repetitive restricted behaviors, Difficulty moving from one activity to another.
Social stories have emerged as a type of intervention used to address social and behavioral challenges in students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. It provides a structured, visual approach to teaching social skills and helping individuals with ASD navigate social situations and understand appropriate behaviors.
Using social stories, Educators and specialists can target specific areas of need, Such as a decrease in inappropriate behavior versus an increase in appropriate behavior, improve social interaction, reduce anxiety level, Improving personal care skills, And improve communication skills.
Research methods used in the study:
The researcher used two main methods in the study:
review previous studies, A questionnaire was conducted in which professionals specialized in the fields of special education participated.
The literature review included examining current research and scholarly articles on the use of social stories as an intervention for students diagnosed with ASD. The researcher collected information about the effectiveness of social stories and their impact on social interaction and behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder.
The questionnaire method included distributing the questionnaire to specialists in the fields of special education. Including special education teachers, And speech and language pathologists, behavior analysts, And teacher assistants.
The survey aims to collect information about the effectiveness of using social stories in educational situations. Participants were also asked about their experience with social stories. The purpose of its use, and groups of students who benefited from this strategy, And the effects they noticed.
These methods allowed the author to combine information from existing studies and professionals’ experiences to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of social stories as interventions for students diagnosed with ASD.
The review of studies provided a basis for identifying the strategy, While the survey added real-world perspectives from professionals who work directly with students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Points mentioned in the study from previous studies:
One of the previous studies mentioned in this study showed that social stories should be written in a specific format developed by Carol Gray. This format contains four types of sentences:
descriptive sentences, directive sentences, control statements, And theoretical sentences. The story is also written from the child’s perspective, using his language and making the child feel that he is part of the story and the primary control over it.
This approach aims to teach a child with autism spectrum disorder to acquire appropriate social behaviors and consistently use these behaviors in correct situations.
In another study, it was highlighted that social stories proved effective in acquiring appropriate social behaviors among students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. This study also clarified that the purpose of using social stories may vary depending on the child’s individual needs. But ultimately, it is effective in increasing social interaction and reducing unwanted behaviors.
Some studies noted that some children did not show any significant improvement. Which indicates the need for further research to determine the impact of different environments, and age group on the effectiveness of social stories in changing the targeted behavior.
Number of study participants
Nineteen participants who used social stories with students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder participated in the research survey. They are a group of special education teachers, Speech and language pathologists, behavior analysts, And teacher assistants.
What is the specific research question?
The specific research question of the study was to examine the effects of a social story intervention on the social interaction and behavior of students with autism spectrum disorder.
Where was the study conducted?
The study was conducted in a school setting designed for students with developmental disorders.
Results
The results of the study showed that social stories have proven their effectiveness in several areas: like:
follow the routine, Dealing with feelings appropriately, Calm down emotional feelings.
The group participating in the survey reported that social stories had positive effects with students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. It has also proven effective with students diagnosed with other developmental disorders.
Although the study results indicated that social stories can have a positive impact on the behavior of students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and improve social interaction, However, participants noted that the impact of these social stories was limited to high-performing students in general.
Suggestions for future research
The results of this study mentioned the importance of highlighting the need for more research and information in multiple fields. The study also identified these areas for future research. Include:
- Determine the age group that can benefit from social stories, Determine ability levels, As well as identifying students diagnosed with other developmental disorders with whom social stories can be used.
- Researching the effectiveness of peer role in social stories and evaluating the benefits of peer participation.
- Collect data on how social stories are read, Such as reading to a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder alone or reading a story to a child with his peers.
- Exploring the impact of children reading social stories themselves versus having them read by an adult.
- Researching the effectiveness of social stories as a sole intervention versus considering other factors that may influence its effectiveness.
- Identify a community of students who might benefit more from social stories than other students.
- Conduct research on the use of comics in social stories and determine the implications of their effectiveness.
Reference:
Ventimiglia, A. (2007). The effects of social stories on the social interaction and behavior of students with autism spectrum disorders. St. John Fisher University.