Teacher—Researcher Partnerships to Improve Social Behavior Through Social Stories

Abstract

In this project, a partnership between school and university personnel addressed, in a systematic, research-oriented fashion, a classroom problem. A young child with autism exhibited excessively loud screaming, yelling, humming, and other distracting noises during class activities in a special education setting. These disruptive behaviors were a serious concern and also hampered the teacher's efforts to place the child in more inclusive environments. The partnership members first systematically assessed the target behaviors and then consulted existing research interventions addressing those behaviors. Basing their efforts on previous research, the partnership members developed social stories and implemented them through a single-subject research design. Ongoing observations and consultations, as well as input from all partnership members, formed the basis for any changes made to the intervention. At morning circle time, data on inappropriate behavior (yelling) and appropriate sitting were collected during baseline, Intervention Phase 1, Intervention Phase 2, and return-to-baseline conditions. The intervention yielded positive behavioral changes for the target student. Findings are discussed with respect to effective social story interventions for young children with autism and establishment of effective partnerships through which teachers may become active researchers.