Social Narratives Overview

Social narratives are a set of tools that visually represent social situations and appropriate social behaviors. The social narrative connects the important details of a setting or social situation to support the person in understanding the social context and in developing a new social skill. While most individuals generally understand social norms and conventions, individuals may need explicit instruction to understand these norms.  This is where social narratives come into play. 

The social narrative focuses the individual’s attention on only the key details of a situation. It can support either understanding or performance, or both. Also, the narrative should focus attention of WHAT TO DO in a situation instead of what NOT to do.

Social narratives should be used when your student needs to ‘connect the dots’ (key details) to understand a social situation. It is often used to support instruction of a certain skill in interaction. Social narratives use elements described in the section on visual cues to help the student understand and act within a social situation. Does the instructor limit the narrative to only the key details of a social situation? Does the instructor sequence the details in a way that makes the information accessible to the student? Does the instructor highlight specific details within the narrative to support focus? Just as importantly, how does the instructor design access to the narrative (visual organization)? In other words, does an instructor put one narrative on a page, laminate it and shrink it down so it is readily available in various social situations? Or is it posted where the student can see it in contexts where it might be used?   

Ideally, social narratives should be used preventatively before the issue becomes problematic.   When you observe that your student needs improvement in an area, a social narrative can explain how and why to make that improvement.

Social narratives can be used to address  a wide range of topics and behaviors:

	Social communication examples: Personal space Asking someone to hang out Calling friends Using appropriate conversation topics Interrupting others Asking for help Controlling voice volume Disagreeing with others Online social networking
	Organization and self-direction examples: Arriving to school or work on time Completing homework and projects, studying for tests Completing less preferred tasks, assignments
	Self-regulation, coping examples: Handling stress Handling changes in routine Asking to take a break Relaxation techniques Private versus public behaviors
	Safety examples: Crossing the street What to do in an emergency Leaving work after dark
	Personal care and daily living examples: Cleaning up after yourself The importance of good hygiene The importance of sticking to a budget

Guidelines for developing and using social narratives:

• Consider how to use a social narrative within the priming process. The social narrative can support the process of ‘getting agreement’ from the individual that there is a problem and that new behavior is necessary. This process of getting agreement is integral to building the capacity for accurate self-assessment. Active involvement of the individual as to wording, use of pictures, and the ‘plan of action’ within the narrative can support motivation for change. Consider whether you first need to help the student visually organize and represent related thoughts, feelings, or behaviors using a graphic organizer activity.

Priming:  The social narrative is a part of the priming process because it visually presents information that adjusts the student’s perspective in a way that is meaningful to him.  For some students , priming involves getting agreement that there is a problem, getting agreement on the solution, and creating the motivation for change.

• Consider how many details should be portrayed in the story. Remember that the story does not necessarily connect all the details, just those that help the individual understand and/or perform.
• The social narrative works bests when it is used to guide practice of the desired skill. Provide multiple chances to review the story prior to potential opportunities to use the skill. Use of direct reinforcement as well as other visual strategies in combination may support the effectiveness of instruction.
• Sometimes the social narrative is used ‘after the fact’ to help the student comprehend a previous social situation. Ideally, this ‘after the fact’ presentation can lead to developing behaviors, strategies, or coping skills that can be used in the future. Remember that if we only provide triage (repair), we are not necessarily providing a skill for future use.