Social narrative

A social narrative is a learning tool designed for a person with a disability (e.g. Autism and Asperger syndrome) that teaches them how to do something new. It is referred to as a story or a written explanation that tells the learner not only what to do but also what the situation is, with the goal of addressing the challenge of learners finding social situations confusing.[2]

Social narratives can be used to teach learners with disability such as autistic children and are written in a language accessible to them.[1]

Concept

Social narrative is described as short story that could be employed as an antecedent intervention for students that have behavioral challenges due to social and emotional development deficits.[3] It depicts and explains social interactions, common behavioral expectations, and their respective social subtexts.[3] According to the National Professional Development Center (NPDC) on ASD, in addition to teaching learners specific social behaviors and skills, it can also help them adapt their behaviors according to the social and physical cues of a situation and adjust to changes in routine.[4]

A defining feature of the social narrative is that it is individualized and narrated from the child or the learner's perspective.[2] The story focuses on relevant cues and provides the learners appropriate responses through examples.[5] It is written by an educator according to the learner's instructional level and is often complemented by contents such as pictures and photographs that do not only confirm the information being conveyed but also promote self-awareness, self-calming, and self-management.[6] For example, it can be in the form of a one-page symbolic depiction, a book with photographs, or a learning material (e.g. mobile app[4]) that clearly depicts and explains relevant information.[3]

Types

Social stories are considered a type of social narrative. In a particular story, the expectations – including those of others such as peers and teachers – are clearly and accurately described.[5] Social scripts constitute another type of social narrative.[6] These can be audio or written sentences or paragraphs that the learners can use in different settings and situations so that their ability to interact with others is enhanced.[7]

Social stories, which are attributed to Carol Gray, is primarily used to describe a specific way of constructing a social narrative. This type of narrative follows a formula, which orients the story towards description instead of direction.[2] Social scripts, on the other hand, describe specific comments and questions appropriate to given situations.[8] It is written in scripted prompt format[9] or videotaped statements or phrases that learners can use in social situations.[10] The statements are simple such as: "Hi, can I sit here?", or "Can you help me?".[10]

Both of these types of social narratives can be employed to instruct a learner on how to introduce themselves to others, ask for help, initiate conversations, and join a group of peers.[8]

Technique

The social narrative is usually written in first person and the perspective of the learner so that the story matches his experiences, feelings, and behavior.[2] It is often developed by an expert (e.g. educator, therapist) and the patient since it integrates new social information relevant to the patient.[11] There are no strict guidelines when writing social narratives but the process usually involve the following steps:

  1. Identification of the social situation for intervention;
  2. Definition of target behavior for data collection;
  3. Collection of data;
  4. Social narrative writing.[6]

Some guidelines for social narrative development include the use of language understood by the learner. The narrative is also written according to his comprehension skills.[6] There is also the preference for the "I" statements (although "you" statements can also be used if it is more effective) and the construction of sentences using present and future tenses.[6]

References
  1. Barton, Erin E.; Harn, Beth (2012). Educating Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. p. 212. ISBN 978-1-4522-8347-0.
  2. Maich, Kimberly; Hall, Carmen (2016-08-01). Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Ontario Context: An Introduction. Toronto: Canadian Scholars’ Press Inc. p. 166. ISBN 978-1-55130-912-5.
  3. Gargiulo, Richard M.; Bouck, Emily C. (2017). Instructional Strategies for Students With Mild, Moderate, and Severe Intellectual Disability. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-5063-0666-7.
  4. Nava, Silton (2014). Innovative Technologies to Benefit Children on the Autism Spectrum. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. p. 116. ISBN 978-1-4666-5792-2.
  5. Denning, Christopher (2017). Developing Motor and Social Skills: Activities for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 42. ISBN 978-1-4758-1764-5.
  6. Myles, Brenda Smith (2005). Children and Youth With Asperger Syndrome: Strategies for Success in Inclusive Settings. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. p. 82. ISBN 1412904978.
  7. Zager, Dianne; Cihak, David F.; Stone-MacDonald, Angi (2017). Autism Spectrum Disorders: Identification, Education, and Treatment. New York: Taylor & Francis. p. 194. ISBN 9781138015692.
  8. Pollio, David E.; Macgowan, Mark J. (2013). Evidence-Based Group Work in Community Settings. New York: Routledge. p. 76. ISBN 9780789038517.
  9. Kerry-Moran, Kelli Jo; Aerila, Juli-Anna (2019). Story in Children's Lives: Contributions of the Narrative Mode to Early Childhood Development, Literacy, and Learning. Cham: Springer Nature. p. 256. ISBN 978-3-030-19265-5.
  10. Auger, Rick (2011). The School Counselor's Mental Health Sourcebook: Strategies to Help Students Succeed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. p. 163. ISBN 978-1-4129-7273-4.
  11. Gaus, Valerie L. (2007). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adult Asperger Syndrome, First Edition. Guilford Press. p. 143. ISBN 978-1-60623-774-8.
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