Improving behaviors of autistic children by social stories.

Abstract

Background : Telling social stories is a new intervention for autistic children drawing them from the world of themselves to improve their social skills and to promote their appropriate behaviors so that they can live in the society and have the interaction with friends and others. The researcher was interested to study this new intervention to improve behaviors of autistic children. The data obtained could pave the way to arrange suitable activities for the improvement of autistic children.

Objectives : The purposes of these study were to explore and to compare behaviors of autistic children before and after receiving social stories interventions.

Design : Experimental study without control group.

Setting : Educational Research Center for Children with Special Needs (autistic children), Laboratory School, Kasetsart University, academic year 2009.

Sample : Participants were 12 elementary students, grade 1 and 2 at the Educational Research Center for Children with Special Needs (autistic children), Laboratory School, Kasetsart University, academic year 2009.

Materials and Methods : The research instruments were: Demographic Questionnaire, School Situation Questionnaire, Home Situation Questionnaire, eight social stories intervention. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistics such as data percentage, mean and standard deviation as per accordance to collected data. To compare behaviors of autistic children before and after receiving social stories Interventions; data of which was analyzed by pair t–test.

Result : The result of this study shows; 1. Assessment by teacher: behaviors of autistic children after receiving social stories interventions were statistically significantly (p <.001) better than before. After 1 month of follow up it was found that inappropriate behaviors of the 11 autistic children were reduced. 2. Assessment by parents: behaviors of autistic children after receiving social stories interventions and 1 month follow up was not statistically significantly different.

Conclusion : From the teacher’s assessment, it was found that autistic children’s behaviors showed better tendency after receiving social stories and statistical significance was better after 1-month follow up. Most autistic children (11 from 12 participants) had less inappropriate behaviors than before. However, from the parents’ assessment, it was found that autistic children’s behavior after receiving social stories showed no statistically significant difference both immediately after the intervention and after 1 month follow up.