Few research studies have been conducted to investigate the use of a Social Story as sole intervention in changing inappropriate behaviors in children with autism. Most of the studies that used Social Stories as an intervention showed limitations like improper story construction (Appendix G), unsatisfactory design (AB design), and most lacked generalization and maintenance as described in the literature review. This study assessed the utility of a properly constructed Social Story (Appendix G) as the sole intervention to change a dangerous and socially unacceptable way of eating in an eight year old girl with autism. Because of her unusual and sometimes aversive way of eating, often typical of children with ASD, morning tea and lunch times at the mainstream school she attended posed safety as well as social issues. The decision was made to use a changing conditions design (ABC).

This study evaluated Social StoriesTM (SS) with three at-risk preschool children in a high- need public elementary school. Specifically, this study examined the use of a multimedia SS designed to decrease problem behavior and increase prosocial behavior. A multiple baseline design across participants with an ABC sequence was used to assess the impact of the standard SS and multimedia SS on the children's target behaviors. The results of the study indicated that the standard SS was successful in reducing problem behavior and increasing prosocial behavior for all three participating children. The results also indicated that the multimedia SS had positive effects on the children, further increasing prosocial behavior during intervention. Although the problem behavior did not further decrease when the multimedia SS was introduced, the low levels of problem behavior were maintained at a 3-week follow-up for all three children. All three children demonstrated maintenance of improved prosocial behavior during follow-up. Overall, the multimedia SS demonstrated high levels of social validity.

abstract: The rise in the number of students found to have autism has been staggering over the past ten years. Accommodating these students effectively and appropriately in a public school is a challenge many teachers are deemed with, sometimes without adequate training. This study was aimed at affecting the underlying social misunderstandings inherent to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and an at-risk general education peer through a comprehensive intervention consisting of peer mentoring, interactive social stories and video modeling strategies. Observations, student interviews, vignettes and student and researcher journals served as data sources. Three fourth grade boys, including a student with autism, a peer with behavioral concerns and a model peer, participated in an intervention designed using a multiple baseline across behaviors. The target students, including the student with autism and the peer with behavioral concerns increased their ability to demonstrate three distinctive skills, attending to task, raising hand and academic responding. Analysis of the data also showed an overall increase in levels of engagement and motivation. Strong friendships developed among all three participants. Implications suggest that a comprehensive approach is effective in reducing unwanted social behaviors and promoting positive social skills and gives further insight into the target students' motivation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Leadership and Innovation 2013

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:17:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Isabela Damasceno Campos Jardim.pdf: 1596109 bytes, checksum: 6c5f99e14b74ff0a8a7dd0359df135e9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-21 / Studies of social behavior in children with Down syndrome enrolled in regular schools has not been frequent in the area of behavior analysis. Social story ( Gray , 1994) is a strategy with well-defined characteristics , used to describe skills , answers that would be considered appropriate for a given context , and this could produce changes in people's behavior . The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of different interventions (Social Story; Differential Reinforcement ; Differential Reinforcement and more Social Story ) to promote socially appropriate to the school setting in children with Down syndrome enrolled in regular school behaviors. The study included two children diagnosed with Down syndrome, female, aged 9 years and 1 month and 9 years and 5 months. Participant 1 was attending the 3rd year and the second participant attending the 2nd year, both in Elementary Education I. The selection of target socially appropriate responses to the school context was established together with the teachers. For 1 participant the target response was to play / approaching other children during the break / recreation and for participant 2 to target response was feeding properly without touching the colleagues in order to move them, the lunch period. A Social Story was written for each participant, the target response selected considering. The design was a multiple treatment ABCD. After a period of base (A) line, each participant initiated the procedure for experimental condition. For participant 1 was his design: Differential Reinforcement (B); Social Story (C) and Differential Reinforcement more Social Story (D). For participant 2 was his design: Social Story (B) Differential Reinforcement more Social Story (C) and Differential Reinforcement (D). Altogether 1 participant underwent 28 sessions and 22 sessions for participant 2. The results indicated that the two participants performed better, ie greater occurrence of socially appropriate behaviors in the experimental condition Differential Reinforcement more social than the Social Story and Differential Reinforcement conditions used as a single intervention. Furthermore, by analyzing the occurrence of target responses throughout the twenty minute observation in each session, one realizes that the Social Story seems to guarantee higher responses at the beginning of the observation period than at the end. The opposite occurs with Differential Reinforcement condition, this procedure maintains the target response occurred up to the end of the period / Estudos sobre comportamentos sociais em crianças com síndrome de Down matriculadas em escolas regulares não tem sido frequentes na área da análise do comportamento. Estória Social (Gray, 1994) é uma estratégia, com características bem definidas, usada para descrever habilidades, respostas que seriam consideradas adequadas para um determinado contexto, e isto poderia produzir mudanças no comportamento das pessoas. O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar a efetividade de diferentes intervenções (Estória Social; Reforçamento Diferencial; e Reforçamento Diferencial mais Estória Social) para promover comportamentos socialmente adequados ao contexto escolar em crianças com síndrome de Down matriculadas na rede regular de ensino. Participaram deste estudo duas crianças diagnosticadas com síndrome de Down, do sexo feminino, com idades de 9 anos e 1 mes e 9 anos e 5 meses. A participante 1 cursava o 3º ano e a participante 2 cursava o 2º ano, ambas no Ensino Fundamental I. A seleção das respostas-alvo socialmente adequadas ao contexto escolar foi estabelecida em conjunto com as professoras. Para a participante 1 a resposta-alvo era brincar/aproximar-se de outras crianças, no período do intervalo/recreação; e para a participante 2 a resposta-alvo era alimentar-se adequadamente sem tocar nos colegas de modo a deslocá-los, no período do almoço. Uma Estória Social foi escrita para cada participante, considerando-se a resposta-alvo selecionada. O delineamento utilizado foi o de tratamento múltiplo ABCD. Após uma fase de linha de base (A), cada participante iniciou o procedimento por uma das condições experimentais. Para a participante 1 seu delineamento foi: Reforçamento Diferencial (B); Estória Social (C); e Reforçamento Diferencial mais Estória Social (D). Para a participante 2 seu delineamento foi: Estória Social (B); Reforçamento Diferencial mais Estória Social (C); e Reforçamento Diferencial (D). Ao todo a participante 1 passou por 28 sessões e a participante 2 por 22 sessões. Os resultados indicaram que as duas participantes obtiveram melhores resultados, ou seja, maior ocorrência de comportamentos socialmente adequados na condição experimental Reforçamento Diferencial mais Estória social do que nas condições Estória Social e Reforçamento Diferencial usadas como uma única intervenção. Além disso, analisando-se a ocorrência das respostas-alvo ao longo dos vinte minutos de observação em cada sessão, percebe-se que a Estória Social parece garantir respostas maiores no início do período de observação do que em seu final. O contrário ocorre com a condição Reforçamento Diferencial; este procedimento mantém a resposta-alvo ocorrendo até o final do período