The Use of Social Narratives During Community Outings for an Autistic Middle School Student

Abstract

More than 3.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Buescher et al., 2014). As of 2018, the Center for Disease Control estimated that about 1 in 44 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (Center for Disease Control, 2018). Due to the growing number of children being diagnosed with ASD, there is a need for social intervention in school districts. One of the most common interventions currently used is social narratives. Social narratives were created to give people with ASD the information they need to learn new skills, understand social situations, and learn how to respond or react in various settings (Gray & Garand, 1993). Some of these unfamiliar situations include community-based outings. Students with ASD benefit from direct instruction and structured practice in how to navigate social situations in community settings. Teachers and other school staff who work with students with disabilities may utilize a social narrative to prepare students before, during, and after community outings. However, the current research on their effectiveness is limited. Through the use of a single subject design, I tracked three target behaviors with a male student with autism spectrum disorder while on community outings. Data was collected before I implemented the social narrative intervention and then again after the intervention. There was a decrease in all target behaviors.