Effects of social stories on prosocial behavior of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders.

Crozier et al. (2007) tested Social Stories with three preschoolers who have autism. The stories were read aloud in class before free-play time.

The team watched for prosocial acts like sharing or helping. They used a single-case design to see if the stories alone changed behavior.

Two children quickly started sharing and helping more often. The third child only improved after teachers added short verbal reminders.

This shows Social Stories can work, but some kids need an extra prompt to turn the story into action.

Smith et al. (2020) later used the same stories on a tablet before summer camp. Kids felt calmer and understood the new routine better. This extends the 2007 finding beyond the classroom wall.

Bouck et al. (2016) swapped the story for a game-based lesson called Superheroes Social Skills. Their two preschoolers also gained social skills fast. The method differs, but the payoff is similar.

Kleinert et al. (2007) reviewed 79 social-skills studies the same year. They noted most preschool programs leaned on modeling and rewards, not stories. Shannon’s paper adds early proof that a low-prep story can still count.

If you run a preschool autism group, keep a folder of short Social Stories. Read one before play and watch for sharing or helping. If a child does not budge, add a quick verbal cue like “Remember what the story said?” This two-step plan gives you a cheap, respectful way to boost prosocial behavior without extra toys or tokens.