ARCHIVES
Year 2026 · Volume 6 · Issue 5
Original Article
Efficacy of Social Stories on Adaptive and Behavioral Outcomes in Autistic Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Long-Term Maintenance and Generalization Effects
Kelvin Bruce Basquial1
1 Ireland.
Published Online: September-October 2026
Pages: 10-25
Cite this article
↗ https://www.doi.org/10.59256/ijrtmr.20260605002References
1. Anthony, N., & Bobzien, J. (2022). Using two formats of a social story to increase the verbal initiations and on-topic responses of two adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52(9), 4138–4149.
2. Beh-Pajooh, A., Ahmadi, A., Shokoohi-Yekta, M., & Asgary, A. (2011). The effect of social stories on reduction of challenging behaviours in autistic children. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15, 351–355.
3. Como, D. H., Goodfellow, M., Hudak, D., & Cermak, S. A. (2024). A scoping review: Social stories supporting behavior change for individuals with autism. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 17(1), 154–175.
4. Hanrahan, R., Smith, E., Johnson, H., Constantin, A., & Brosnan, M. (2020). A pilot randomised control trial of digitally-mediated social stories for children on the autism spectrum. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(12), 4243–4257.
5. Herrin, M. J. (2004). Using social stories to teach social and behavioral skills to preschool children with autism.
6. Karkhaneh, M., Clark, B., Ospina, M. B., Seida, J. C., Smith, V., & Hartling, L. (2010). Social Stories™ to improve social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Autism, 14(6), 641–662.
7. Kokina, A., & Kern, L. (2010). Social Story™ interventions for students with autism spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40(7), 812–826.
8. O'Connor, E. I. L. E. E. N. (2009). The use of social story DVDs to reduce anxiety levels: A case study of a child with autism and learning disabilities. Support for Learning, 24(3), 133–136.
9. Ozdemir, S. (2008). The effectiveness of social stories on decreasing disruptive behaviors of children with autism: Three case studies. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(9), 1689–1696.
10. Qi, C. H., Barton, E. E., Collier, M., Lin, Y. L., & Montoya, C. (2018). A systematic review of effects of social stories interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 33(1), 25–34.
11. A.Quirmbach, L. M., Lincoln, A. J., Feinberg-Gizzo, M. J., Ingersoll, B. R., & Andrews, S. M. (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 group design. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(2), 299–321.
12. Reynhout, G., & Carter, M. (2006). Social Stories™ for children with disabilities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(4), 445–469.
13. Reynhout, G., & Carter, M. (2011). Evaluation of the efficacy of Social Stories™ using three single subject metrics. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(2), 885–900.
14. Scattone, D., Tingstrom, D. H., & Wilczynski, S. M. (2006). Increasing appropriate social interactions of children with autism spectrum disorders using Social Stories™. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 21(4), 211–222.
15. Scattone, D., Wilczynski, S. M., Edwards, R. P., & Rabian, B. (2002). Decreasing disruptive behaviors of children with autism using social stories. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32(6), 535–543.
16. Smith, C. (2001). Using social stories to enhance behaviour in children with autistic spectrum difficulties. Educational Psychology in Practice, 17(4), 337–345.
17. Smith, E., Constantin, A., Johnson, H., & Brosnan, M. (2021). Digitally-mediated social stories support children on the autism spectrum adapting to a change in a ‘real-world’ context. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(2), 514–526.
18. 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.
19. Thiemann, K. S., & Goldstein, H. (2001). Social stories, written text cues, and video feedback: Effects on social communication of children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34(4), 425–446.
20. Thompson, R. M., & Johnston, S. (2013). Use of social stories to improve self-regulation in children with autism spectrum disorders. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 33(3), 271–284.
21. Ulaşman, S., & Sivrikaya, T. (2025). Digital Social Stories for teaching earthquake safety skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1–16.
22. Vandermeer, J., Beamish, W., Milford, T., & Lang, W. (2015). iPad-presented social stories for young children with autism. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 18(2), 75–81.
23. A.Wright, B., Bell, K. J., Bell, K., Blackwell, J. E., Blackwell, J., Teige, C., ... & Hewitt, C. (2024). Impact of Social Stories on social and emotional health of autism spectrum primary school children: The ASSSIST2 RCT with economic evaluation. Health Technology Assessment, 28(39), 1–121.
24. Wright, B., Blackwell, J. E., Bell, K. J., Teige, C., Mandefield, L., Wang, H. I., ... & Hewitt, C. (2025). Autism Spectrum Social Stories in Schools Trial 2 (ASSSIST-2): A pragmatic randomised controlled trial of the Social Stories™ intervention to address the social and emotional health of autistic children in UK primary schools. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 30(1), 4–12.
25. A.Zhou, N., Wong, H. M., & McGrath, C. (2020). Efficacy of social story intervention in training toothbrushing skills among special-care children with and without autism. Autism Research, 13(4), 666–674.
2. Beh-Pajooh, A., Ahmadi, A., Shokoohi-Yekta, M., & Asgary, A. (2011). The effect of social stories on reduction of challenging behaviours in autistic children. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15, 351–355.
3. Como, D. H., Goodfellow, M., Hudak, D., & Cermak, S. A. (2024). A scoping review: Social stories supporting behavior change for individuals with autism. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 17(1), 154–175.
4. Hanrahan, R., Smith, E., Johnson, H., Constantin, A., & Brosnan, M. (2020). A pilot randomised control trial of digitally-mediated social stories for children on the autism spectrum. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(12), 4243–4257.
5. Herrin, M. J. (2004). Using social stories to teach social and behavioral skills to preschool children with autism.
6. Karkhaneh, M., Clark, B., Ospina, M. B., Seida, J. C., Smith, V., & Hartling, L. (2010). Social Stories™ to improve social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Autism, 14(6), 641–662.
7. Kokina, A., & Kern, L. (2010). Social Story™ interventions for students with autism spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40(7), 812–826.
8. O'Connor, E. I. L. E. E. N. (2009). The use of social story DVDs to reduce anxiety levels: A case study of a child with autism and learning disabilities. Support for Learning, 24(3), 133–136.
9. Ozdemir, S. (2008). The effectiveness of social stories on decreasing disruptive behaviors of children with autism: Three case studies. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(9), 1689–1696.
10. Qi, C. H., Barton, E. E., Collier, M., Lin, Y. L., & Montoya, C. (2018). A systematic review of effects of social stories interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 33(1), 25–34.
11. A.Quirmbach, L. M., Lincoln, A. J., Feinberg-Gizzo, M. J., Ingersoll, B. R., & Andrews, S. M. (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 group design. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(2), 299–321.
12. Reynhout, G., & Carter, M. (2006). Social Stories™ for children with disabilities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(4), 445–469.
13. Reynhout, G., & Carter, M. (2011). Evaluation of the efficacy of Social Stories™ using three single subject metrics. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(2), 885–900.
14. Scattone, D., Tingstrom, D. H., & Wilczynski, S. M. (2006). Increasing appropriate social interactions of children with autism spectrum disorders using Social Stories™. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 21(4), 211–222.
15. Scattone, D., Wilczynski, S. M., Edwards, R. P., & Rabian, B. (2002). Decreasing disruptive behaviors of children with autism using social stories. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32(6), 535–543.
16. Smith, C. (2001). Using social stories to enhance behaviour in children with autistic spectrum difficulties. Educational Psychology in Practice, 17(4), 337–345.
17. Smith, E., Constantin, A., Johnson, H., & Brosnan, M. (2021). Digitally-mediated social stories support children on the autism spectrum adapting to a change in a ‘real-world’ context. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(2), 514–526.
18. 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.
19. Thiemann, K. S., & Goldstein, H. (2001). Social stories, written text cues, and video feedback: Effects on social communication of children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34(4), 425–446.
20. Thompson, R. M., & Johnston, S. (2013). Use of social stories to improve self-regulation in children with autism spectrum disorders. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 33(3), 271–284.
21. Ulaşman, S., & Sivrikaya, T. (2025). Digital Social Stories for teaching earthquake safety skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1–16.
22. Vandermeer, J., Beamish, W., Milford, T., & Lang, W. (2015). iPad-presented social stories for young children with autism. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 18(2), 75–81.
23. A.Wright, B., Bell, K. J., Bell, K., Blackwell, J. E., Blackwell, J., Teige, C., ... & Hewitt, C. (2024). Impact of Social Stories on social and emotional health of autism spectrum primary school children: The ASSSIST2 RCT with economic evaluation. Health Technology Assessment, 28(39), 1–121.
24. Wright, B., Blackwell, J. E., Bell, K. J., Teige, C., Mandefield, L., Wang, H. I., ... & Hewitt, C. (2025). Autism Spectrum Social Stories in Schools Trial 2 (ASSSIST-2): A pragmatic randomised controlled trial of the Social Stories™ intervention to address the social and emotional health of autistic children in UK primary schools. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 30(1), 4–12.
25. A.Zhou, N., Wong, H. M., & McGrath, C. (2020). Efficacy of social story intervention in training toothbrushing skills among special-care children with and without autism. Autism Research, 13(4), 666–674.
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