Effectiveness of social stories in intervention in autistic spectrum disorder: A review

Abstract

Social stories, as a technique of psychoeducational intervention, constitute a recurring element in the practice of professionals responsible for intervention with people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This work presents a review of the scientific literature of the last decade about the effectiveness of the application of social stories in the intervention in communication and social skills in people with ASD. Twenty-nine empirical studies were selected according to specific criteria, analyzed according to six categories: Age of the participants, objective of the intervention, context of application, person applying the intervention, social validity, and comparison with other intervention strategies. Although the results about the effectiveness of this intervention are not conclusive, social stories are valued as a significant tool to implement or develop behaviors in children and preadolescents with ASD in their main socialization contexts and with people close to them.