Behavioral Interventions and Solutions
Last month, I did a guest blog post for Especially Education. The topic was how to increase independence using task boxes in the classroom. However, today I want to tell you about an alternative to printable task boxes. The 10 activities included in my new Task Box Ideas freebie are perfect for older children who are working on life skills… Read More
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The effective use of social narratives (social stories) is a heavily debated topic among many. As a BCBA, I am always trying to ensure that I recommend the use of evidence-based practices, and unfortunately, social narratives fall along the fringe.
That being said, personally, I think there are many advantages to using a social narrative as a way to preview (or review) the expectations that accompany a complicated situation.
Take my buddy, Mavis, for example. Last week she went into the hospital to have her tonsils and adenoids out. This is typically a routine surgery; however, Mavis decided to put her foot down, and she refused to consume any liquids ... FOR DAYS. Family members MODELED how much fun it was to take a sip, they used an alarm to PROMPT her to take a drink, and they REINFORCED her every time she took a sip, yet it still didn't seem to be enough.
Enter the social narrative. This short 9-page story described what the expectation was using short sentences and relatable pictures. This, IN COMBINATION with, all the other strategies worked, and Mavis was able to go home the following day.
Was this positive result due solely to the social narrative? Not likely, however, I do believe that it enhanced Mavis's understanding of what she needed to do in order to go home.
Do you want to learn more about how to write your own social narrative? Check out this post by one of my favorite bloggers: www.confessionsofthechromosomallyenhanced.com/2019/11/5-tips-for-writing-effective-social.html
Not ready to write your own social narrative? Reach out to me via this Google form, and I can help you design one that fits your needs! forms.gle/ezCDQNthDZeamz168
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This past weekend I had an opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with my niece. We went up into the attic of my parent's house and explored the meticulously saved collection of toys from my childhood. After several minutes, we settled on a bin of magnet blocks (which would never exist nowadays due to safety regulations - but that's a conversation for another day) and brought them down into the living room to play. It was fun to sit back and watch her explore a "brand new" toy. Grace is only 18 months old, so I knew we were working with a limited attention span and began to think of ways that I could extend her engagement with this toy. I gave her a minute or so to manipulate the blocks, before I started to interact with them myself. I narrated my play despite knowing that she didn’t yet understand all the words I was saying, and at that moment my newest visual was born. I quickly realized that it might be helpful for parents, therapists and teachers to have a visual guideline to describe the different ways to talk about toys during play. While this is not an all-inclusive list, it serves as a good reminder that there are many things you can say while you play.
What other ways do you model language for children who are still developing the necessary skills to communicate?
