How to Write Social Stories for Asperger's Syndrome

Social stories are brief stories designed to teach kids social skills. They address specific situations that your child struggles with and are personalized to make them more effective. Social stories can be used for kids of all ages, covering topics from sharing toys to asking someone out on a date. Writing a social story takes only a few minutes and allows your child to study these skills the same way he might study for a math test. For this example, we'll write a story about greeting people, something kids with Asperger's syndrome often struggle with.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paper
• Pen or pencil
• Photograph or illustration depicting the social skill
• Tape or glue

Social Stories

1. Write the title at the top of the page. The title, like the story itself, should be simple and specific. The story in our example would have a title like "Greeting People" or "Saying Hello."

2. Begin with a descriptive sentence or two: "Sometimes we see people we don't live with every day. We might see them at school, Mom's job, or they might come to our house."

3. Add a perspective sentence to reinforce empathy and explain the reason for this specific social skill: "When we greet people politely, they feel welcome and happy."

4. Continue with descriptive sentences, telling your child how to proceed: "When I greet someone I will hold out my right hand and shake his hand. I will smile and say, 'Hello, it's nice to see you.' "

5. If necessary, add a directive sentence that addresses your child's specific needs: "Sometimes I don't like to be touched. I can smile and wave when I say hello instead of shaking hands."

6. Attach the photograph or illustration to the story. For this example, a picture of your child appropriately greeting someone would be ideal. You can allow her to pretend to greet a family member or even a doll or stuffed animal while you take the picture.

Tips & Warnings

• If your child cannot read, you can read the story to him or tape it so he can play it himself. Keep stories very brief; they should include only a few simple sentences that relate directly to the skill being taught. Tailor the stories to your child's needs by naming specific people and places when appropriate---for example, "It is hard to sit still while Mrs. Jones is reading stories to the class." Practice the stories often, but don't make it a chore.
• Social stories are guides. They are not guaranteed to change your child's behavior, and each child has different capabilities. The stories should be used as tools, and children should not be penalized for not memorizing them or grasping the skills they teach.

References

• polyxo.com
• The Gray Center

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