The Effects of Social Stories on Language and Social Appropriateness in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

This study employed a single-subject design to determine the effects of Social Stories<super>TM</super> treatment approach on the language and social skills, specifically turn-taking, of four children with autism spectrum disorders within the context of a summer language camp through East Carolina University. Four language measures and five behavioral measures were obtained through activities targeting behaviors included within the context of the Social Story. Three of the four participants displayed an increase in language measures while all four participants displayed an increase in at least one of the behavioral measures associated with turn taking. Language performance is thought to have been influenced by scaffolding and depended, in part, upon the language levels of the participants. Behavioral outcomes suggest that Social Stories can be feasible in increasing positive behaviors as well as decreasing negative behaviors.