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Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2013
Abstract
Originally developed for children with mild autism, a Social Story is a short story that describes an ambiguous or troublesome situation and provides an appropriate response to that situation. Several research studies have confirmed the effectiveness of Social Stories in decreasing undesirable behaviors in children with mild, moderate, and severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, limited research has been conducted to determine the efficacy of Social Stories in modifying behaviors of children who do not have autism. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Social Stories in decreasing undesirable behaviors in children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The investigation targeted four children between the ages of four and seven years who were enrolled in a hearing-impaired program. The participants were divided into an intervention group and a control group. The teacher completed an initial survey to identify undesirable behaviors for each student in the study, and listed the frequency, severity, and functional impact of each behavior. A personalized Social Story was generated for the participants in the intervention group. The teacher and paraprofessionals read each Social Story three times per school day for six weeks using a total communication approach (sign language and verbal speech). Following the six week intervention period, the teacher completed the survey again to determine the final frequency, severity level, and impact ratings for each participant. The primary researcher also observed the participants in the classroom two times per week for one-hour sessions and recorded the frequency and duration of each target behavior. Results of the study indicated that Social Story intervention was effective at decreasing the undesirable behaviors of children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The duration and frequency of problem behaviors decreased for both participants in the intervention group after Social Story intervention.
Recommended Citation
McCollum, Kaylee, "Social Story Intervention for Children who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing" (2013). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 59.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/honors_theses/59
