Action Plan for Using Social Stories to Reduce Aggression among Grade Two Autistic Students - Report Example

Action Plan for Using Social Stories to Reduce Aggression among Grade Two Autistic Students Name Course Lecturer Date Introduction Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental condition typified by oral and non-oral communication impairments and also affects a student’s social conduct. The condition is also typified by aggression, communication problems, tantrums, attention issues or self-injury (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). With these behaviours, effective classroom management strategies are important so as to enhance the outcomes of affected students. The percentage of students suffering from ASD has been on the increase (Sansosti, Powell-Smith, & Kincaid, 2004). The mounting population of students with ASD has triggered the need to provide the correct interventions for dealing with such students to facilitate their academic and social achievement. A number of authors have recognized that, social stories are proposed to have promising impacts on autistic children’s behaviour since the start of the 1990s across the globe (Mentor, et al., 2012; Spencer, Simpson, & Lynch, 2008). Social stories refer to narratives written about people that show a given undertaking and the particular expectations and behaviours related to that undertaking. Such stories can be used through several methods, such as reading by a teacher, education assistant or personally, or through presentation using multimedia technology devices or equipment (Mancil, Haydon, & Whitby, 2009). Significance The population of students being diagnosed with ASD is on the increase, which implies that teachers have to deal with a large number of autistic students. Given the behaviours associated with the condition, dealing with autistic children is not a simple task. Focusing on the formulation of an effective intervention for handling students with autism is significant to primary education or education professionals. This is because; it will help teachers or other education professionals to easily manage autistic children who may be part of their students. In addition, it will help autistic students to better associate with their peers and teachers as well as manage their academic work. Background A wide range of studies have been conducted on the impact of social stories on the behaviour of autistic students aged between 7 and 8 years. Sansosti, Powell-Smith, & Kincaid (2004) established that, the noteworthy impacts of social stories in autistic students have partial experimental control, are regularly confused by concurrent use of different interventions and are very variable. Sansosti and colleagues wrote about other authors’ published work. According to them, a bigger percentage of the published researches gave affirmative results on using social stories for different behavioural targets. In their work they recommended that, educators ought to try their best to assemble information on the environmental background of the social state, the target student conduct’s function as well as other people’s social responses. By doing that, there will be a direct link between social stories and the target conduct, which will then result in bigger success. Evidently, social stories are a more effective intervention among high functioning students. Another study discussed the manner in which the wide use of social stories keeps on growing despite the limited research foundation. The study principally focussed on subject designs and case studies that provide positive impacts from a practitioner’s viewpoint. By reviewing several published works on the use of social stories, the authors stressed the positive results recorded in different individual studies. Nonetheless, they echoed a number of limitations in the works such as reversal designs’ incorrectness, irregular execution and progress of the interventions and the need of considering longer engagement periods as well as generalization maintenance (Ali & Frederickson, 2006). A study by Test et al. (2011) showed a need for additional research that assesses social stories’ effects on students suffering from ASD only. Their study focussed on different published works, which uses social stories on autistic children. The findings of their study were that this type of intervention cannot be considered a form of evidence oriented practice at the present. However, though evidence oriented practice is crucial, educators ought to be ready to consider using social stories since there are very limited alternatives currently. Reynhout & Carter (2009) carried out a comprehensive assessment of different literatures including electronic databases and manual searches. However, their data gathering and selection of study criteria were inadequately described. The authors acknowledged the need to cautiously interpret their study’s results due to a number of discrepancies in the background studies. Though a bigger percentage of these studies reported correct changes in the focused behaviour, the authors stressed methodological shortcomings in the reviewed studies such as non-standardised development and use of social stories, inadequate data gathering on the supposed changes in conduct and generalization of results to other behaviours. Finally, the authors inferred that, social stories’ impacts on autistic students regardless of their age, considerably differ and the results gotten may be confused. A study by Andrew (2005) compared social stories’ effectiveness with that of stories lacking social loading on autistic children below 12 years as well as above 8 years. The study used autonomous and blinded result assessors, which minimized bias risk and ensured inclusion of reliable sample during the study. The study established some positive impacts of using social stories on constructive conduct of autistic children within the studied age. The author mentioned social stories effects’ variation on participants. Such variations were attributed to children’s IQ and reading levels. Quirmbach et al. (2009) carried out a broad study with a total of 45 participants. They evaluated social stories’ effectiveness using pre-test and post-test repetitive measure. According to the study, children mostly changed their conduct subsequent to being subjected to a specific social story. This was because the intervention improved different skills as well as social conduct of the participants. The authors further suggested that children with very low oral understanding skills might not benefit from social stories in a similar manner with higher functioning students with autism. The authors recommended future research to assess the effectiveness on a long-term basis and to use more natural environments to eradicate the controlled settings conventionally used. Generally, review of several studies on social stories’ impact on aggression in children suffering from ASD indicates some optimistic changes. However, most authors report mixed results and some limitations in the studies. In this case, it may be argued that, using social stories exclusively cannot be effective in changing aggressiveness in autistic children. In other words, for social stories to be effective in reducing aggression and enhancing the skills of students aged between 7 and 8 years, they have to be used alongside other interventions. This argument is backed by several studies. Crozier & Tincani (2007) established that, one participant did not show positive outcomes after the intervention of social stories. In another study, the author compared the effectiveness of using social stories only and when they are used along other interventions like verbal prompt. They established that, social stories lessened aggressiveness to a lesser extent compared to when used alongside other interventions. Hanley-Hochdorfer et al. (2010) showed that decreased social engagement in the use of social stories only or together with other interventions can be owed to the use of an ordinary class environment rather than a controlled environment. The actual effect of social stories on autistic students aged between 7 and 8 years is difficult to estimate as shown above by several studies. From the various studies, social stories have a possibility of being an effective intervention if a teacher considers factors such as the autistic student’s language aptitude, cognitive stage and age. Social stories might lessen anxieties and enhance confidence on autistic students aged 7 and 8 years, by providing them with clear and comprehendible information on the way other people react and feel. Research question The research question that forms the main focus of this project is: Are social stories effective in dealing with aggression of an autistic student in a class of Grade two students aged between 7 and 8 years? The sub-questions for the focus area include; 1. Are social stories effective when used independently or when used along other interventions? 2. Does the effectiveness of social stories vary with age among autistic students? 3. Does an autistic student’s IQ determine the social stories’ effectiveness in reducing aggression? 4. What other factors can influence the effectiveness of social stories apart from age and IQ? 5. In what ways might social stories lessen the aggression level of an autistic student aged between 7 and 8 years? The sub-questions are derived from the main research question, which relate to the selected focus area for this project. These questions are based on literature that has been reviewed about the use of social stories as an intervention for students suffering from ASD. Methodology and methods In attempts to find answers for the various research questions in this project, I will carry out a quantitative research. Under this type of research, I will choose 10 schools within my county from which to collect data regarding the use of social stories by teachers in dealing with aggression among Grade two autistic students aged between 7 and 8. There are several schools in the area, but covering all the schools may not be possible due to limited resources such as time and finances. The 10 schools will be chosen through random sampling technique. Data for this research will be collected using two main methods including interviews and use of questionnaires. Interviews will be used to gather data from schools that are within vicinity, while questionnaires will be used for schools that are a bit far from my location. In order to be able to gather adequate and comprehensive data, interviews and questionnaires will be used to gather data for a period of 3 months, that is, one school term and will target Grade two classes with between 30 and 40 students. This number of students is considered appropriate since a teacher is able to notice and deal with different behaviours among students. Using a small number may make sample not to be representative, while classes with very many students may be difficult for teachers to identify different students’ behaviours. Under the interviews, I will carry out face-to-face interviews on the Grade two teachers regarding the use of social stories. The interview will seek to establish whether the teachers have autistic students in their class and their corresponding ages and whether they have been using social stories to reduce aggression among the autistic students. Interviews will be conducted on Mondays and Fridays during the lunch break at an interval of one month for a period of three months. These intervals are deemed appropriate because they will allow systematic and consistent collection of data. During that period, the teacher will be able to keenly observe the behaviour of the autistic children and the impact of using social stories on their behaviour. Questionnaires will be sent to teachers from distant schools through mail. The fully completed questionnaires will be collected at the end of the three-month period. During the data collection period, I will not directly interact with the students rather I will use the teachers to collect data about the students’ behaviour. This is because; I need the intervention to be evaluated from an ordinary class setting. The collected data will be analysed through the data tabulation method, which is simple to use especially when dealing with a moderate sample size as is the case in this research. Research ethics Carrying out a research on autistic children is quite challenging and may give rise to some ethical questions. During this research, the researcher will devise ways of handling the various ethical issues that may relate to the research. The first ethical issue relates to authority to carry out the research on the target group. Before starting interviews or sending questionnaires to the various teachers, the researcher will apply for approval to conduct the research from the schools’ head teachers. It is only after receiving the approval letter that the researcher will begin the data collection process. In addition, consent of participants to take part in the research will be considered. The participants for this research are Grade two teachers and their respective students. Only teachers who will be willing to be interviewed or fill the questionnaires will be included in the research (NHMRC, n.d). The researchers will use the teachers to seek the consent of autistic students in participating in the research. Teachers will explain to the students the purpose of the research and how the intervention may help them to improve on their academic and social performance. Maintenance of confidentiality and privacy will also be considered during the research. The researcher will ensure confidentiality and privacy by not including personal details about the teachers or the students, such as names, marital status, and family backgrounds, in the interviews or questionnaires. However, since the research targets a specific age of autistic students, that is, between 7 and 8 years, the students’ age will not be specified in the data. Moreover, the researcher will use codes to represent the various schools that will be included in the interview and their corresponding participants. This will ensure privacy by maintaining anonymity of the participants. Furthermore, the researcher will ensure that the research results are reliable and valid by avoiding any personal interests or prejudices at any cost. Action The potential modifications to practice based on the reviewed literature and the current study on the use of social stories in lessening aggression among autistic students might be implemented through several ways. To start with, after validating the effectiveness of social stories on reducing an autistic student’s aggression, I might implement it through publication of the current study. After publishing the entire research, different readers such as government officials, teachers, autism management institutions, and parents will be able to access the information on the use of social stories. The logic behind this way is that, readers who will access and read the published work about the intervention and its effectiveness may want to apply it in real life. This might be an effective way of implementing the modifications to practice since it will reach a large audience. In addition, I might implement the changes by talking to teachers from different schools to use this intervention. From the literature review, there has not been concrete evidence on social stories’ effectiveness on autistic students’ aggression. Thus, chances are that, very few teachers use this type of intervention in dealing with aggressive behaviours of their autistic students. In order to reach a big population of teachers, I may request to address the teachers during academic days, symposium and workshops about the use of social stories. In this case, I will use the findings of my research to convince them to start using the intervention in managing the behaviours of their autistic students. Moreover, parents just like teachers face difficulties in dealing with aggressive behaviours of their autistic children and tend to try different interventions to manage such behaviours. Accordingly, I might foster the use of social stories in practice by talking to and persuading parents to try this intervention on their autistic children. This can be facilitated through individual encounters with the parents and explaining to them on how to apply the intervention and the expected results. Autism is a widespread disorder among many children and thus many parents are affected. Thus, conducting a speech on autism during social events such as public holiday conventions, and community groups’ meeting might help in reaching many parents or caregivers. All parents wish the best for their children and they would not disregard a method that might help their children improve on their academic work and social interactions. Thus, convincing parents to put the intervention of social stories into practice is very easy. I might also implement the changes to practice by writing a proposal to the Ministry of Education on social stories’ effectiveness in managing autistic children’s behaviour in classroom settings. The results of my research may be used to back up the viability and significance of the intervention. This may result in effective implementation of the changes since after the proposal is approved by the Ministry, it might be implemented in schools by requiring teachers to use the intervention as part of their classroom management strategies for dealing with autistic students. Lastly, I might execute the changes by seeking support from autism management foundations. Most of these foundations constantly carry out extensive research on various interventions in efforts to establish the most effective interventions that parents, caregivers, family members, and teachers may use to successfully handle autistic children and adults. Such foundations can assist me in the implementation of the changes by sponsoring campaigns to create awareness among members of the public on social stories’ effectiveness in handling autistic children’s aggressive behaviours. They can also help by applying the intervention on their members who mostly are autistic children along with their family members or caregivers. Timeline Different stages or events of the plan will be implemented at different times. Identifying my area of focus will take a period of two weeks. Within this period, I will consult my tutor on the appropriateness of my focus area and try to see whether there is enough literature talking about the area. The literature review will take one month. I consider this period appropriate because it will give me adequate time to go through different sources such as books, journal articles, newspapers, and websites in efforts to find concrete support and background information about my focus area. In exploring and settling for the methods that I will use and collecting and analyzing data, I will take around three and half months. The first three months will be used in collecting data through interviews and questionnaires, while the remaining two weeks will be for compiling and tabulating data and drawing conclusions. Research ethics will be implemented together with the methodology portion. Moreover, different ways of implementing changes to practice will take different durations depending on the length of procedures involved and time available. For instance, writing the proposal to the Ministry of Education, presenting it and having it approved may take a very long period such as several years. The table below provides a summary of the timeline for implementing different activities of the plan. Table 1: Timeline for implementing the plan Activity Timing Identification of focus area Two weeks Literature review One month Methodology and methods and Research ethics Three and half months Publication of the work Three to six months Talking to teachers One month Talking to parents One month Proposal to the Ministry of Education One to several years Support from Autism foundations 6 months References Ali, S., & Frederickson, N. (2006). Investigating the evidence base of social stories. Educational Psychology in Practice (22), 355-357. American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. Andrew, S. (2005). Increasing game playing skills and social comprehension in school-aged children with autism using social stories. Sciences and Engineering, 65 (10b), 538. Crozier, S., & Tincani, M. (2007). Effects of social stories on pro-social behaviours of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 1803-1814. Hanley-Hochdorfer, K., Bray, M. A., Kehle, T. J., & Elinoff, M. J. (2010). Social Stories to Increase Verbal Initiation in Children with Autism and Asperger's Disorder. School Psychology Review, 39 (3), 484-492. Mancil, G. R., Haydon, T., & Whitby, P. (2009). Differentiated Effects of Paper and Computer-Assisted Social Stories(TM) on Inappropriate Behaviour in Children With Autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 24 (4), 205-215. Mentor, L., Elliot, D., Hulme, M., Lewin, J., & Lowden, J. (2012). Guide to practitioner research in education. London: Routledge. NHMRC. (n.d). National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans. Retrieved May 13, 2013, from http://www.health.gov.au/nhmrc/publications/synopses/e35syn.htm Quirmbach, L., Lincoln, A., Feinberg-Gizzo, M., Ingersoll, B., & Andrews, S. (2009). Social Stories: Mechanisms of Effectiveness in Increasing Game Play Skills in Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using a Pretest Posttest Repeated Measures Randomized Control. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39 (2), 299. Reynhout, G., & Carter, M. (2009). The use of Social Stories by teachers and their perceived efficacy. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 3 (1), 232-251. Sansosti, F. J., Powell-Smith, K. A., & Kincaid, D. (2004). A Research Synthesis of Social Story Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 19 (4), 194-204. Spencer, V. G., Simpson, C. G., & Lynch, S. A. (2008). Using Social Stories to Increase Positive Behaviours for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Intervention in School and Clinic, 44 (1), 58-61. Test, D. W., Richter, S., Knight, V., & Spooner, F. (2011). A Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis of the Social Stories Literature. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 26 (1), 49-62. Read More