The use of social stories to teach social skills to children with autism

• Grant number: 16/15077-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2016
• End date: October 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Experimental Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Nassim Chamel Elias
• Grantee: Mirella Cássia da Silva
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

It is known that when an individual is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is usually the occurrence of deficits in social interactions. Due to this deficit in the development of individuals with ASD and in an attempt to promote better social performance, previous studies have examined the use of social stories in teaching social skills. This method has shown promising results in interventions. Such stories are tailored to the particularities of each child and suggest appropriate behaviors as opposed to the problem, already issued by the individual marked by social interaction environments. Therefore, this project aims to analyze the effectiveness of an intervention that promotes learning behaviors compatible with the inclusion of social skills repertoire of children with ASD, based on previous studies, using ABAB experimental design. Participants will be three individuals between 7 and 14 years old, diagnosed with ASD, who have inappropriate behavior on social demands at school. Each child will have his/her own social story indicating the desired repertoire.