Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is a social story?
A. A social story helps students with ASD acquire generalize and maintain skills to make them more successful at school, home and in the community.

Q. Why choose a social story?
A. Many students with ASD are visual learners and benefit from structure. A social story can be a self-instructional and self-controlled method of problem solving. Students with ASD respond positively to social stories because they direct and guide their response to various situations.

Q. What ages are social stories appropriate for?
A. A social story can be used with children of all ages. The content, as well as the length, of the social story will vary depending on the child’s ability and age.

Q. Where and when are social stories used?
A. The time when a social story is read can be included in the child’s schedule. If possible, the story should be read before the problem behavior is expected to occur. A social story only needs to be read once a day. It is important to read it in the same place each day.

Q. What does a social story look like?
A. A social story can take many forms, depending on the ability level of the individual with ASD. It can be in a book format or may be a single page. It can include photographs, hand-drawn pictures, or pictoral icons. Multiple materials can be used such as cardboard, poster board, chalk board, laminated paper, etc.

Q. Can a social story be used with children other than those who have ASD?
A. Yes. Social stories can be used with children with a variety of disabilities. In addition to children who have ASD, social stories have been found to work well with children who have learning disabilities, behavior disorders, and other disabilities.

Q. How do you determine which behavior is the best to address with a social story?
A. Select a behavior for which improvement will result in increased positive social interactions, a safer environment, additional social learning opportunities, or all three.

Q. Is there a limit on how long/short a social story should be?
A. The length of the story depends on the child’s cognitive abilities. Some stories are only a short paragraph long, whereas others can be several paragraphs long. When determining lengths, ask: What level is the child performing at academically? How long is her attention span (time already spent attending to story time or other academic work)?, Does the child have any self-stimulatory behaviors that may affect her ability to process the information?, etc.

Q. Whose job is it to write a social story?
A. It depends on where the target behavior is occurring. If it takes place at home or to and from school, it may be best if a parent wrote the story. A story can be written by the classroom teacher, speech pathologist, occupational therapist, or physical therapist. Stories should be individualized for each student. Therefore, it is important to decide which person will be most effective in writing and/or implementing the story.

Q. How do we monitor the success of social stories?
A. Each day as the social story is being read, observations should be made informally and/or formally. It is extremely helpful that data be collected on a behavior before and after implementation of a social story and then compared. Interviewing other teachers, parents and peers is also important when monitoring the success of a social story.

Q. Where can I find more information about social stories?
A. The reference page lists different books containing information about social stories.