Social Stories to Increase Verbal Initiation in Children With Autism and Asperger’s Disorder

Abstract

.Individuals with autism spectrum disorders experience pervasive social and communication skill deficits. One of the most popular treatment recommendations to address these deficits is the use of social stories. Although social stories are beneficial at reducing many disruptive behaviors, empirical evidence for their use to increase social and communication behaviors is limited. The present study, conducted in a natural setting, investigated the use of social stories to increase the prosocial behaviors of verbal initiations and contingent responses in students with either autism or Asperger\'s disorder. Results suggested that the efficaciousness of this widely accepted intervention is questionable and in need of further research.