The effect of social stories on behavioral problems of children with high functioning autism

In the last decades, it appears that the number of children identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has increased substantially. Thus, ASD with prevalence of one in 150 cases is the second most common neuro-developmental disorder after mental retardation. High prevalence of ASD emphasizes needs for provision of different treatments and services. In recent decade, various studies have been conducted on social skills deficits and behavioral problems of children with ASD and such social skills deficits have been suggested to be the main deficit. However, many researches have examined the effectiveness of social stories on reduction of behavioral problems in autistic children and have reported contradictory results. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the effect of social stories on behavioral problems in one high functioning autistic child. We used single subject design with multiple base lines across target behaviors. Data of the present study were analyzed by visual analysis and effects size index which revealed that social stories had different effect on the target behaviors. The results of the present study showed that social stories were effective in decreasing behavioral problem for one out of the three target behaviors.