A
teacher uses this teaching method to help a child with autism
learn how to behave in a specific social situation. The process
begins with a detailed observation of the child in the problematic
situation. The teacher talks to each person involved in the situation
and then speaks directly to the child about what he or she thinks
is happening during the problematic interaction. The teacher keeps
detailed notes of previous methods of intervention that have been
successful or that have failed. After determining the specifics
related to the child’s difficulties, the teacher writes a social
story to help the child.
The
teacher composes the social story with four types of sentences.
Throughout the story, each sentence is short, clear, and unambiguous.
Descriptive sentences describe what people do in a particular
social situation. Directive sentences instruct the child to make
an appropriate response. Perspective sentences explain how other
people perceive the situation. Control sentences identify strategies
that the child can use to remember and understand the social story.
Gray prescribes two to five descriptive and/or perspective sentences
for every one directive or control sentence in a social story.
After
writing the story, the teacher decides how to introduce the story
to the child. Some teachers help the child read the story every
day before the difficult situation occurs. Others record the story
on audiocassette, to help the child who cannot read on his or
her own. The teacher might even suggest that the child draw pictures
to illustrate the story if the child is a visual learner. Over
time, the teacher fades out the use of the story by reducing the
number of times that the child reads the story or by rewriting
and removing directive sentences from the story. With the help
of the social story, the child learns how to behave in the social
situation.
