Behaviour Support Services
Creating a Social Narrative Resource Package
NOTE: This package consists of strategies which may or may not assist in responding to behaviour. It is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice or treatment from a qualified behaviour clinician.
What is a Social Narrative
Social narratives are used to help individuals learn what to expect before they encounter an unfamiliar situation.
Social narratives can be written about anything – doctor’s appointments, work tasks, self-care skills, getting tested for different viruses such as COVID-19, attending a funeral, going to church, going to a wedding, etc.
DOs of Writing a Social Narrative
1. Concentrate on one point per story.
2. Describe the sequence of events.
3. Describe clear cues relevant to the individual.
4. Keep your sentences simple.
5. Use sentences that are true.
6. Convey a clear meaning with only one interpretation.
7. Use a pertinent title.
8. Illustrate – add photos that relate to what is being discussed.
9. Familiarize the individual with the event narrative – read it frequently together.
DON’Ts of Writing a Social Narrative
1. Don’t use figurative language – be clear.
2. Don’t make guesses about the individual’s own internal feelings, motivations or reactions. Most peoples feelings vary day-to-day. Making statements such as “I like ___” may be true one day and not the next.
Things to Remember
1. You may need to revise the language.
2. Make additional points or eliminate something.
3. May need to review more often.
4. Revise if necessary!
Why Do We Use Social Narratives?
1. Lack of predictability can cause problems for many individuals with an intellectual disability.
2. Routines can give individuals with intellectual disabilities a sense of reassurance that they know what is expected.
3. Different situations or changes in routines can disturb their comfort zone.
4. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disabilities have difficulty with understanding why people do what they do – so they do not know how to react or behave in different situations – especially a new one.
5. A social narrative can familiarize an individual with situations before they engage in them.
Breaking Down the DOs of Social Narratives
1. One Point Per Story
Only include one point per narrative – if you have more ideas that need to be addressed, one or more additional narratives may need to be written.
Example: Flying somewhere for the first time. Write a separate story for each part:
• How you are getting to the airport
• What to expect in an airport and how it is navigated
• What to expect when flying on an airplane
2. Describe the Sequence of Events
Descriptive sentences are the only required sentence type
Consider the five ‘wh’ questions
1. What is happening 2. Where is it happening 3. When it is happening 4. Why it is happening
5. How it is happening
3. Describe: Clear Cues
Describe actions or cues that convey the next steps.
Keep cues relevant to the person.
Keep the stories short, general, and as a light on detail as possible – while providing enough information for person to make it through the event.
4. Types of Sentences to Use
When describing, use the following sentence types:
Descriptive > Form the bulk of the narrative and describe the sequence of events and the behavior they present. Provide different variations to the event described. Use reassuring vocabulary.
Supportive > Meant to be supportive and reassuring to the person. Describes what other people can do to support the individual to get through the event. This may describe rules that some people may find reassuring.
Perspective > Describe the usual thoughts and motivations of other people that describes the reasons for why they do what they do.
Example: “The security people make sure everybody is safe on the airplane”.
5. Keep Sentences Simple
People with intellectual disabilities often misunderstand:
Pronouns > Try to use names of people, places, things and actions as much as possible. Can be confusing if using more than one person/thing/place is discussed.
Negatives > Try to phrase what you say in positive ways.
Long Complex Sentences Try to keep them short and one to two phrases long at most.
Passive Sentences > In an active sentence, the subject does the acting upon the object (e.g., “Dad buys the drinks”). Active sentences are easier to understand because the action is done in order and the verb is in the present. In a passive sentence, the subject has the action done upon it. (e.g., “The drinks are bought by Dad”).
Complex Verbs > Complex verbs such as, “will have been going” are harder to understand. Re-write the sentence to make it simpler such as “goes”.
6. Sentences that are Literally True
When writing, ask yourself questions:
1. Does what I have written reflect reality?
2. Does it account for natural variability in most events?
Example: “We have supper at night” is not literally true.
Example: “Supper is the last meal of the day” is more literally true than the first.
Some of the following words and others can be helpful: Usually Mostly Often Probably Sometimes Many Might Some
7. Convey Clear Meanings
Write sentences that can only be interpreted one way. Have someone else review the story to ensure clarity
Example: “I hit a man with a stick.”
Possible Meaning: (1) I used a stick to hit a man OR (2) The man I hit was holding a stick.
Gray, C. A. Garand, J. D. (1993). Social stories: Improving responses of students with autism with accurate social information. Focus on Autistic Behavior, 8, 1-10.
8. Use an Appropriate Title 9. Illustrate 9. Familiarize
Titles can be composed in one of two ways:
1. Statement that summarizes the point of the narrative, OR
2. Question to which the narrative provides the answer.
Photographs, drawings which illustrate ideas to help the person understand what is expected.
For those who can read:
• Ask the person how they would like to review and read it
For those who cannot read:
• Sit somewhat behind while reading, so the focus is on the narrative rather than on the reader
• For some – the narrative may be placed on a narrated PowerPoint or similar program, Also could be displayed on a computer or smart TV.
Consider the frequency with which the person is exposed:
• Daily, twice a day, once a week, or other
• Understand how the person learns, to optimize their learning
• Some situations may require more preparation than others to limit anxiety
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