Helping Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders to Learn by Pittman Mary;

Author:Pittman, Mary;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 420945
Publisher: SAGE Publications, Limited
Published: 2007-08-18T00:00:00+00:00

Social stories

Other students find social stories or power cards a useful way of gaining social information from which to make changes to behaviour or understand factors which help prevent anxieties and provide instructions in an easy-to-follow format.

Social stories, created by Carol Gray, are now a tool used regularly in many schools when catering for children on the autism spectrum.

Social stories are written in the first person as if the child has written it and provide an overall idea of what happens in situations and why, as well as what the child may need to do in such situations. Sentences are written to describe situations clearly, or to show what others might be thinking or feeling in the situation, and also sentences which suggest ways in which the child might try to do or say things. Social stories can be a useful strategy enabling children to prepare for forthcoming changes in the school context.

The social story opposite was written collaboratively by a Communication and Interaction team supporting a Year 4 pupil who was having difficulty listening to instructions in the classroom. The story was used to help him understand more fully what was being expected in class and how to change his behaviour so that he listened to what he was being asked to do.

Power cards are another very useful tool for teachers and TAs. Created by Elisa Gagnon, power cards use a child’s special interest to help him gain an understanding of what he needs to do in a particular situation. Stories are created from the perspective of a hero or authority figure the child is very interested in. From this perspective some children feel very positive about the choices guided by their ‘hero’ figure and are able to remember what to do when a change in behaviour is required.

Jane, a pupil with autism, found it difficult to know when to ask questions or say things in class. Jane often talked about a variety of cartoon figures. A social story was written from the perspective of a favourite cartoon figure who described how ‘he’ knew when to speak in class and how to do it. A subsequent power card with the essential guidance points was created as a portable reminder for Jane. An example card is shown on page 62 which can be photocopied and adapted for children who are having this difficulty, using the name and picture of a favourite hero figure.

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