Publication Date

5-1-2008

Degree Program

Department of Psychology

Degree Type

Education Specialist

Abstract

Social Stories have gained wide acceptance and popularity as an intervention for children with autism and autism spectrum disorders, yet it is unclear whether this intervention method meets the standards of an evidence-based intervention. With a push in educational and mental health fields to use only evidence-based interventions, there is a need to determine whether or not this popular method meets this standard. The research literature on Social Stories has been reviewed for this project. An analysis of each article was conducted to evaluate clinical utility and treatment efficacy. Using the clinical utility and treatment efficacy information, as well as additional criteria, each article was evaluated to determine if it met the criteria deemed necessary by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) for evidence-based research. Based on the findings gathered from the analysis of the studies, only three of the 18 studies (16.7%) meet all NCLB criteria for evidence-based research. Because such a small percentage of the studies reviewed met all criteria, Social Stories cannot yet be considered an evidence-based intervention for children with autism.

Disciplines

Education | Psychology | Special Education and Teaching

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