Social Stories/Cognitive Scripts

A Social Story can be a written or visual guide describing various social interactions, situations, behaviours, skills or concepts and were introduced and described by Gray and Garand (1993).

According to Gray (2010) ‘a Social Story describes a situation, skill, or concept in terms of relevant social cues, perspectives, and common responses in a specifically defined style and format. The goal of a Social Story is to share accurate social information in a patient and reassuring manner that is easily understood by its audience.’

Although they are a very common intervention option for children, there remains a call for more research into the effectiveness of social stories(Reynhout & Carter, 2009).

This is because authors who have reviewed the evidence base have generally come to the same conclusions, that there remains a lack of clear evidence attesting to the specific factors leading to the success or failure of social story interventions (Reynhout & Carter, 2006; Kokina & Kern, 2010).

From Social Stories by Educate Autism

Helpful Links

• What are Social Stories? by The Gray Center
• What is Social Thinking? 
• Complete Guide to Free Social Stories by One Place for Special Needs 
• Social Stories by PBIS World
• How To Write A Social Story by The National Autism Society

This video was filmed at Richardson Park Elementary School and Gauger-Cobbs Middle School.