social narratives the research institute | western oregon university
TRANSCRIPT
SOCIAL NARRATIVES The Research Institute | Western Oregon University
Outcomes
Participants will be able to Develop an understanding of social
narratives that can be created to help children of diverse abilities
Increase understanding of terminology related to social narratives and related strategies
Become familiar with resources to assist in developing a variety of social narratives
Overview
Social narratives are individualized, visually represented stories that describe social situations and socially appropriate responses or behaviors to help children with challenging behaviors, to acquire and use appropriate social skills.
Overview (Cont’)
Social skills include communication problem-solving decision-making self-management peer relations abilities that allow one to
initiate and maintain positive social relationships.
Overview (Cont’)
Social narratives must be taught through direct instruction Direct instruction includes reading the
social narrative to or with the child and modeling the related behaviors for him or her
Reading the social narrative and modeling related behaviors should become a consistent part of the child’s daily schedule
Overview (Cont’)
• Social narratives often include information about how others feel, why the situation occurs, how others may react to the situation, and where and why the situation occurs
Alex takes a deep breath to calm himself down.
Details - Social narratives can be used
After a problem behavior has occurred (e.g., hitting, yelling, or biting)
Prior to a transition (e.g., going from one activity to another, such as going outside to play)
New experiences such as going to a birthday party
Social narratives are effective for many children with ASD if well written and consistently implemented
Details (Cont’)
Social narratives can support the improvement of behavior within the home, school, or community settings
Prior to constructing a social narrative, baseline data should be taken on the frequency or target behavior performance
The social narrative is used as a part of the child’s daily routine
Details (Cont’)
They can be an effective, low-cost strategy that supports enhanced social and behavioral understanding
Guidelines (Cont’)
Pictures (photographs, hand-drawn pictures, cartoon characters, computer-generated icons) or graphics can be used
Written social narratives should use language at the child’s level, in
accordance with the child’s comprehension skills, vocabulary and print size
Guidelines (con’t)
The author (educator or parent) must decide whether the social narrative
would be more effective if it is written with “I” statements (e.g., I need to remember to...) or “you” statements (e.g., You need to remember that...)
choose the number of sentences per page according to the child’s functioning level
Guidelines (Cont’)
The author (educator or parent) must decide whether the social narrative
would be more effective if it is written with “I” statements (e.g., I need to remember to...) or “you” statements (e.g., You need to remember that...)
choose the number of sentences per page according to the child’s functioning level
Guidelines (Cont’)
If, after two weeks of using the social narrative strategy, there isn’t a positive response, the narrative and implementation procedures should be reviewed
Guidelines (Cont’)
Collect data prior to implementation, during implementation, and after implementation to determine intervention effectiveness
Definitions of behaviors need to be: Observable: The behavior is an action
that can be seen. Measurable: The behavior can be
counted or timed. Defined so clearly that a person unfamiliar
with the child could recognize the behavior without any doubts!
Observable/Measurable Definition Non-observable/measurable Definition
Talks when teacher is calling out in a loud voice, singing Disruptive behaviors
Draws pictures during snack time Off-task behaviors
Throwing objects, kicking over chairs Angry, Hostile Behaviors
Calls peers names Inappropriate language
Tapping/drumming on walls/tables, looking around the classroom Attention problems
Failure to follow directions Non-compliance
Yells “No” or “You can’t make me” when given direction Defiance
Guidelines (Cont’)
The child’s team, family, and/or others working with him/her should discuss when the best time for using the social narrative with the child
In most cases social narratives should be faded slowly after the desired behavioral changes have been accomplished
Additional Resources
http://carolgraysocialstories.com/ (under construction, will be launched soon…)
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/strategies.html#scriptedstories
http://www.kansasasd.com/socialnarratives.php
Free Pictures, Graphics, & Symbols For Social Narratives
http://www.do2learn.com/picturecards/overview.htm http://www.usevisualstrategies.com/
AutismVisualPrintablePictures.aspx Google Image Search http://www.setbc.org/pictureset/ http://www.supersimplesongs.com/freeflashcards.html http://www.eslflashcards.com/ http://www.iconarchive.com Picto Selector Free Communication Picture Exchange
Program http://www.k-3teacherresources.com/toys-theme.html
This document was developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education #H325N100017. However, contents do not necessarily represent the policy of The Research Institute, nor the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Julia Martin Eile.