A Scoping Review: Social Stories Supporting Behavior Change for Individuals with Autism

ABSTRACT

Social Stories (also known as social narratives) help individuals participate in and understand social situations. This scoping review identifies and synthesizes social narrative research targeting behavior change in individuals with ASD. Using the following questions as a guide: (a) What is the scope of social narrative interventions used for individuals with ASD, (b) What behavior change outcome measures are evaluated, and (c) What research designs are used; five databases were searched from 2007-to-2018. Fifty-six articles met the criteria. Primary outcomes were sorted into two macro-categories: Reduce Disruptive Behaviors and Increase Desired Behaviors. Most, but not all, studies were found to be effective for various behaviors such as aggressive actions, verbal protests, identifying emotions, executive functioning, following directions, and responding in social situations. Social narratives can be used to promote skills/behaviors in individuals with ASD to enable participation, an important goal in occupational therapy practice. They are an accessible and feasible intervention that can be implemented in various settings for behaviors including activities of daily living, social skills, independence, and self-regulation. Most research reviewed used a single subject design, which is a limitation of the research as it makes results difficult to generalize. However, through replication, functional relationships can be determined. Additional research utilizing randomized control trials is recommended.

KEYWORDS:

• Social stories
• social narratives
• autism
• behavior change
• interventions

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (U01DE024978; 3U01DE024978-04S1; 5F31DE030006) and the University of Southern California, Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Research Ethics

Due to the nature of this paper being a scoping review, no Institutional Review Board approval was required.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research [3U01DE024978-04S1,5F31DE030006,U01DE024978]; University of Southern California [Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy].