The number of Social StoriesTM studies and reviews has increased in recent years, yet concerns regarding quality and effect sizes continue to be expressed. With the emphasis on evidence-based practices (EBPs) for the education and treatment of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), this issue becomes of paramount importance as professionals and parents attempt to select interventions for the people with ASD in their care. The current study makes a unique contribution in its use of an extensive EBP evaluation model to examine 33 single-subject studies across 13 peer-reviewed journals, a 12-year period, and a wide range of grouping variables. Using the Mayton, Wheeler, Menendez and Zhang (2010) EBP evaluation protocol, studies were investigated in terms of eight quality indicators comprised 23 operationally defined standards. Studies included in this analysis met the following criteria: (1) they were intervention studies using single-subject research designs; (2) they included only participants with disorders on the autism spectrum; and (3) the primary intervention was the use of a Social Story. Findings included on- or above-standard acceptability in EBP indicators related to important aspects of dependent variables within studies and below-standard acceptability in indicators related to both internal and external validity of studies.

Autism Disorder and related disorders such as Asperger's Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified, are collectively known as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). These disorders are currently the fastest growing diagnosed disorders among children and have been found in 110 in 10,000 individuals. Individuals with ASD are delayed in social development according to diagnostic criteria. To address the social development delays of students with ASD, two research-based interventions have been developed: Social StoriesTM and video modeling. Social StoriesTM uses a specific combination of sentences to describe a social situation or a social skill in story form. Video modeling is an isolation of social skill steps delivered through a video medium to model the social skill. The purpose of this study was to combine Social StoriesTM and video modeling (combined intervention) and investigate the perceptions of educational multidisciplinary team members (school counselors, parents, teachers) regarding the combination intervention for the development of social behavior in students with ASD. School counselors participating in this study delivered the combination Social StoriesTM and video modeling intervention to student participants with ASD. Then, the perceptions of the school-based multidisciplinary team members of this combination intervention were collected through qualitative surveys and analyzed to develop the Qualitative Criticism. This Qualitative Criticism describes, interprets, and evaluates the pragmatic use of the combination of the Social StoriesTM and video modeling intervention with students with ASD in schools from the perspectives of the school counselors, teachers, and parents of these students. Organized by case, team members of each of the student participants reflected on the strengths and weaknesses of these interventions for that student. Across cases, comments were analyzed by role (i.e., parent, teacher, school counselor). Then, these roles were combined into a cross-case analysis of multidisciplinary team perspectives of the usefulness of these interventions for students with ASD. Pre-test and post-test data were collected using teachers' responses to the Vineland II Teacher Rating Form (V-II TRF) and the Summary of Observations section on the V-II TRF to triangulate findings grounded in the qualitative data. Findings suggested that parents, teachers, and school counselors supported the use of these interventions for several reasons. The combination intervention increased opportunities for repetition of the target skills; for visual learning through written words in stories, cartoons, and videos; and for individualization to meet the varying needs and interests of students with ASD. The intervention was also developmentally appropriate, engaging, and fun for students. In addition, when the school counselor collaborated with parents and teachers through the intervention, the parents and teachers seemed to be more knowledgeable about the intervention, and supported these students to use the intervention and generalize the target skills. While V-II TRF scores did not show statistically significant gains to confirm the multidisciplinary team members' support for the combination intervention, clinical significance was found in the domain scores of Communication and Daily Living, and in the Composite score measuring overall adaptive functioning.

Although lying is a major concern for many caregivers (Alwin, 1989; Gervais et al., 2000), there is little behavior analytic research on effective, practical interventions. Studies have shown that a moral story, instruction, or rule implying praise for honesty produced statistically significant improvements in children admitting a transgression (Lee et al., 2014; Talwar et al., 2015; Talwar et al., 2016). Although praise has been shown to function as a reinforcer (Dozier et al., 2012; Hall et al., 1968; Polick et al., 2012), it is unknown if an intervention package including praise for telling the truth would compete with reinforcement contingencies for lying. We evaluated an intervention package comprised of this moral story, instruction, and rule in combination with praising honest reports when reinforcement favored lying. We identified and used each participant’s preferred topography of praise using a multiple-stimulus without replacement preference assessment (MSWO; Deleon & Iwata, 1996). No or minimal increase in honest reports was observed following the praise-based intervention. However, reinforcement of correspondence produced a complete increase in honest reports when staggered across participants using a multiple baseline design.

This study investigates the nature of Asperger's Syndrome and specifically the social impairments experienced by learners affected by this syndrome. The incorrect social language, narrow interests and repetitive routines, and the deficits of theory of mind, central coherence and executive functioning of learners with Asperger's Syndrome are also outlined, and an attempt is made to relate these impairments to the social difficulties that learners with Asperger's Syndrome may experience in any inclusive setting. Chapters two and three comprise an in-depth literature study on this specific subject, thus forming a basis for the empirical research reported in chapter five. A qualitative research design is used, first to gain information about and understanding of the nature of the social impairments that afflict learners with Asperger's Syndrome, and secondly to gauge the effectiveness of using social stories as a means to assist the social development of affected learners. More specifically, an ethnographic research design has been chosen for its flexibility which readily permits last-minute adjustments to suit any design, and also because it helps to give meaning to personal encounters. The sensitive nature of the topic is another important reason for choosing this approach (ie. interaction with the researcher could be "fine-tuned" to achieve the ends of this adapted interview situation effectively, circumspectly and safely without undue upset for all concerned). The interview responses of two mothers of learners with Asperger's Syndrome, as well as the observation of these learners are reported. The results of the interviews and observations are checked against the literature study for corroboration in order to bring about a more positive awareness of the impairments experienced by these learners. The technique of social stories was investigated as a method of enhancing the social development of learners with Asperger's Syndrome. Three specific social stories were developed for this research in order to test the effectiveness of this method. Positive outcomes were achieved after implementation of the stories. Results of this study indicated that knowledge and understanding of Asperger's Syndrome, as well as positive attitudes, are critical to ensure the acceptance and accommodation of learners with Asperger's Syndrome in the school environment and in society as a whole. Also, the issue of accommodating learners with Asperger's Syndrome in an inclusive setting should receive concerted attention since it can have major implications for their educational prospects. / Educational Studies / Thesis (D. Ed.)

This study investigates the nature of Asperger's Syndrome and specifically the social impairments experienced by learners affected by this syndrome. The incorrect social language, narrow interests and repetitive routines, and the deficits of theory of mind, central coherence and executive functioning of learners with Asperger's Syndrome are also outlined, and an attempt is made to relate these impairments to the social difficulties that learners with Asperger's Syndrome may experience in any inclusive setting. Chapters two and three comprise an in-depth literature study on this specific subject, thus forming a basis for the empirical research reported in chapter five. A qualitative research design is used, first to gain information about and understanding of the nature of the social impairments that afflict learners with Asperger's Syndrome, and secondly to gauge the effectiveness of using social stories as a means to assist the social development of affected learners. More specifically, an ethnographic research design has been chosen for its flexibility which readily permits last-minute adjustments to suit any design, and also because it helps to give meaning to personal encounters. The sensitive nature of the topic is another important reason for choosing this approach (ie. interaction with the researcher could be "fine-tuned" to achieve the ends of this adapted interview situation effectively, circumspectly and safely without undue upset for all concerned). The interview responses of two mothers of learners with Asperger's Syndrome, as well as the observation of these learners are reported. The results of the interviews and observations are checked against the literature study for corroboration in order to bring about a more positive awareness of the impairments experienced by these learners. The technique of social stories was investigated as a method of enhancing the social development of learners with Asperger's Syndrome. Three specific social stories were developed for this research in order to test the effectiveness of this method. Positive outcomes were achieved after implementation of the stories. Results of this study indicated that knowledge and understanding of Asperger's Syndrome, as well as positive attitudes, are critical to ensure the acceptance and accommodation of learners with Asperger's Syndrome in the school environment and in society as a whole. Also, the issue of accommodating learners with Asperger's Syndrome in an inclusive setting should receive concerted attention since it can have major implications for their educational prospects. / Educational Studies / Thesis (D. Ed.)