Interview & Choose-Your-Own-Giveaway with Social Stories' Carol Gray

Carol Gray is a renowned autism advocate and educator, who developed the world-famous Social StoriesTM program. Social Stories allow us to brief kids on what to expect from an upcoming social situation, helping them to understand the often unspoken social rules that will be in place. Because they gently prepare and empower kids for challenging social situations, Social Stories can be a crucial anti-anxiety tool. Based on the huge success of Social Stories, Carol has also founded The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding.

I was honoured to interview Carol Gray recently, and along with the interview, the Gray Center is offering a choose-your-own giveaway. Based on what will most benefit their own family, the winner of this giveaway will be able to choose from:

Carol’s latest published edition of Social Stories (which has just been awarded ASA’s literary work of the year award)
or
A one-hour personal consultation with Laurel Falvo, Certified Family Life Educator and Executive Director of The Gray Center
or
The new DVD Why Do They Do That? Answers to Questions You Might Have About People with Autism and Asperger Syndrome…and Tips You Can Use to Help Them! by Laurel Falvo

I am really excited to be able to offer this kind of "what works for you" giveaway, thanks to the generosity of Carol and her team. To enter, you must: 1) be an official follower of this blog (click the "Follow" button on the sidebar and follow the promts); 2) leave a comment at the end of this post; and 3) leave your email address in your comment, or if you prefer, send it privately to me using the "Contact Me" button near the top of this blog.

Now, get a cup of tea and enjoy the wisdom of Carol Gray!
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Carol, what inspired you to develop the now-famous Social Stories program?

A conversation with Eric, one of my high school students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), launched the entire approach.

I had worked for a long, long time on Eric's habit of interrupting people. One day, his marketing class went to the auditorium for an assembly. The speaker began talking; Eric interrupted. Reviewing a videotape of the assembly with Eric, I learned that he believed the speaker was talking to him - just him. Eric's response - answering everything the speaker said - made sense considering Eric's perception of the event.

By sharing my "take" on the situation in writing, and respectfully pointing out how the situation looked to me, Eric concluded he could "stop interrupting." He did.

I decided to try putting accurate descriptions of situations, concepts, and skills in writing for other students on my caseload.

What makes Social Stories such an important resource for kids on the spectrum?

My first reaction to this question is... accuracy and trust.

When carefully researched, developed, and implemented according to the 10 criteria that define each Social Story, a person with ASD can trust the information. Social Stories are respectfully-free of needless judgment or bias; the word "should" and several others never appear in a genuine Social Story.

Sadly, many people have been careless with the term Social Story, which threatens the integrity, quality, and physical, emotional, and social safety that is inherent to the approach. A new website is in the works - www.CarolGraySocialStories.com, which will provide parents and professionals with easy access to quality information.

How can parents integrate Social Stories into their child's toolbox for school?

Social Stories are SOCIAL Stories - they are at their best when developed and implemented by a parent-professional team. The very best first step toward integrating Social Stories into a child's toolbox for school is to establish a team, and pursue training in the use of Social Stories for the members of that team (including yourself).

Can you give my readers an overview of the work done by the Gray Center?

As stated on our website, "The Gray Center For Social Learning and Understanding is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and those who work alongside them to improve mutual understanding.

We approach the social impairment in ASD as a shared impairment. We work to improve social understanding on both sides of the social equation, helping both persons with ASD and those who interact with them to be able to communicate more effectively."

Toward that end, The Gray Center provides information, social coaching groups, and a variety of bookstore and library resources and services. It is also the official home of Social Stories and the Social Response Pyramid.

For more information, you can visit and explore The Gray Center website.

Do you have any tips for parents who would like to write social stories for their own children?

Parents seeking to write Social Stories for their children can find information in a variety of resources. The Gray Center website is the official home of Social Stories, and there is some great information to get you started here. As I mentioned, there will soon be a Social Story website as well.

One of the best ways to learn about Social Stories is in a Social Stories 10.1 workshop. Several are available in the United States and around the world. They are listed on The Gray Center website.

Also, The New Social Story Book, Revised and Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition, contains the Social Story 10.1 Tutorials, the most current guide to learning how to research, write, and implement a Social Story.
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I would like to thank Carol, not just for taking the time to do this interview and giveaway, but moreover for the deeply respectful, co-operative lens through which all her work with people on the spectrum is done.

Now, don't forget to follow the 3 steps to enter the choose-your-own-giveaway! Entries will be accepted until midnight, central time, on November 30th.