Social Narratives

Social narratives are interventions that describe social situations in some detail by highlighting relevant cues and offering examples of appropriate responding. They are aimed at helping learners adjust to changes in routine and adapt their behaviors based on the social and physical cues of a situation, or to teach specific social skills or behaviors. Social narratives are individualized according to learner needs and typically are quite short, perhaps including pictures or other visual aids. Sentence types that are often used when constructing social narratives include descriptive, directive, perspective, affirmative, control, and cooperative. Refer to the work of Gray (1993; 1995) for specific instructions on creating effective social stories.