Introduction: This research investigated the impact of a Social Story™ (SS) intervention on the social and behavioural skills of six children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) enrolled at the Ajyal Al Watan Centre Riyadh, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Aim: The main aim of the research was to determine how autistic children’s social and behaviour skills could be supported through the SS intervention in the Saudi context.
Methodology: The study used a mixed-methods multiple case study design that included a Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scales (SSIS-RS) questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews with six parents/guardians and six teachers of the participating autistic children. Specifically, the six teachers and six parents/guardians of the participating students rated their respective student/child based on the SSIS-RS questionnaire pre- and post-intervention. Similarly, semi-structured interviews were also conducted before and after the intervention. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analysed independently, followed by triangulation of data.
Results: The SS intervention resulted in positive changes for the six autistic children’s social and behavioural skills. This was apparent from both the quantitative and qualitative data, with results tending to indicate a greater improvement in social skills in terms of challenging behaviour. Results also indicated the need for parent/guardian-teacher (home/school) collaboration, greater co-production of SS with ASD students, teachers and parents, and interest in the adoption of SS intervention into the school curriculum.
Contribution: This study enriches the sparse literature on SS interventions in the Middle East, offering key recommendations for future research and practical applications. It recommends more studies on SS effectiveness and explores ways to encourage teacher-parent collaboration in creating customised social stories for autistic students. Practically, it advises local practitioners and educational authorities, like educators, teachers, and the Saudi Ministry of Education, on integrating SS methods into curricula, educating parents about the merits of Social StoriesTM, and mitigating school-based discrimination against children with disabilities.
