Social Narratives

Social Narratives are structured stories paired with visuals designed to help students understand social situations, expectations, and appropriate responses. By breaking down complex interactions into clear, concrete explanations, Social Narratives support students in learning new skills and managing changes in their environment.

When to Use: 

• Prepare Students for Changes in Routines - Such as transitioning to a new class, a substitute teacher, or a fire drill.
• Teach New Behaviors or Social Skills - Such as sharing, waiting or asking for help.
• Provide Support - For students who struggle to focus on relevant cues in their environment.
• Enhance Comprehension - Clarify social expectations by reinforcing appropriate behaviors.
• Tie into Power Cards - Provide students with a simple visual reminder of key concepts from the Social Narrative.

How to Use: 

1. Introduce the Social Narrative - Explain “This story will help you understand what to do in this situation.” Choose language appropriate for the student’s comprehension level, using either first-person (“I will wait my turn”) or second-person (“Cory will wait his turn”).  
2. Write and Present the Social Narrative:
   • Identify the situation and target behavior.
   • Collect baseline data to determine the most appropriate goal.
   • Create the story using varied sentence types:
   • Descriptive: Explains the situation (e.g., “Sometimes, we have a substitute teacher.”)
   • Perspective: Describes thoughts and feelings (e.g., “A substitute teacher might not know our class rules.”)
   • Affirmative: Reinforces the importance of the behavior (e.g., “It’s okay to ask questions if I’m unsure.”).
   • Directive: Guides behavior (e.g., “I will listen carefully when the substitute talks.”)
   • Control: Personal strategies the student identifies (e.g., “I can look at my schedule if I feel unsure.”)
3. Pair with visuals - Appropriate to the student’s age and comprehension level.
4. Model the Use of the Social Narrative - Read the story aloud, emphasizing key points. Demonstrate the expected behavior described in the narrative.
5. Provide Guided Practice with Prompts - Encourage student participation by asking questions about the story. Use verbal, visual or physical prompts as needed to reinforce understanding.
6. Monitor Progress and Adjust - Track student progress and adjust content if needed by changing one variable at a time.

Tips: 

• Combine with Power Cards to reinforce key takeaways in a portable format.
• Use concise language that highlights relevant environmental cues.
• Ensure the target behavior is operationally defined and measurable.
• Limit the information given on each page, about one sentence or concept per page is ideal.
• Decide when and how often to read the social narrative with the student. They are most successful when they are a regular part of the student’s routine.
• Use it when the student is calm.
• It is beneficial to read prior to an upcoming situation.

Variations: 

• Use video modeling to supplement the Social Narrative with real-life examples.
• Incorporate choice-making by allowing students to help write their narrative.
• Adapt for non-readers by using picture-based narratives or audio recordings.