Felicia performed well academically and socially when she was in a highly predictable environment and the expectations were clear to her. However, on occasion there was an unexpected “glitch” in Felicia’s day (e.g., arriving at class without the necessary textbook; her pen running out of ink in the middle of taking notes during a lecture; becoming confused about the steps needed to complete a math word problem). Instead of asking for help, she would fall apart, shrieking “I can’t do anything right!” while pulling at her hair. In some cases, she was so upset she couldn’t articulate the problem.
Family members and educators who support Felicia collaborated to develop the following social narrative to help Felicia understand that asking for help is a viable option and enable her to indicate that she needed help in an appropriate way. Using modeling and having Felicia practice with support, adults taught Felicia how to ask for help when needed, reinforcing this behavior as it became habitual.
Social narratives are a type of narrative written to teach socially appropriate behaviors and responses. They are useful for students aged preschool through adult, supporting students with a variety of learning styles in a process that can lead to more successful school experiences. They are effective tools to use with students who demonstrate behavioral outbursts, poor coping strategies, difficulty making transitions, as well as other excessive emotional reactions associated with leveled emotionality.
Social narratives describe a particular situation, provide information to assist the student in understanding the appropriate behavioral response, and identify personal strategies to apply the information. A variety of media formats may be utilized to present a social narrative, such as PowerPoint, a book created on a program such as Shutterfly, or a screen version on an iPad or a smartphone.
Cartooning, where simple drawings are used to illustrate a situation and the thoughts and motives of others during the situation, can also be used in developing a social narrative. The thought bubbles used in cartooning are an effective way to concretely emphasize what someone else may be thinking, supporting students who have difficulty with perspective taking. Power Cards are another strategy that addresses a behavior of concern by incorporating a student’s highly focused interest, hero, or role model. The card contains a scenario that describes the character’s problem-solving process for the behavior of concern, and a social narrative that summarizes how a student can use the same strategy to solve a similar problem. For more information on Power Cards, see the earlier blogpost, “The Power Card Strategy: Motivating a Student to Use Appropriate Behavioral Skills”.
The content of the social narrative may be developed by a parent or education professional and can also be created in conjunction with the student. Consider age-appropriateness, as well as developmentally appropriate language and visual supports. A narrative written for a young child may have just a few sentences; for an older individual, a narrative may be longer, as the student’s attention dictates. Illustrations such as photographs, hand-drawn pictures, and computer-generated icons can be included.
The following steps outline the process for developing a social narrative:
- Identify a situation for intervention.
- Define the expected behavior or skill.
- Determine the format for the narrative.
- Develop the narrative.
The narrative should include a statement about the problem the student is experiencing, statements about possible strategies that might help, and a statement about possible positive outcomes. These statements typically use words or phrases such as, “I will try,” or “I can”. It is important not to write the narrative with absolutes, as some students may experience different degrees of success, and it is important that the student never feel discouraged, only empowered to attempt to remedy the situation.
Social narratives can be used across environments and settings where there is a need to provide information about which a student may lack understanding, including situations that result in excessive emotional reactions, and provide a sequence or process of how to respond appropriately. Parents may find this strategy can be especially helpful for travel, holidays, special events such as parties or weddings, transitions, and visiting unfamiliar places.