Social stories - how long do they take to "work"

[Loueytb3]

Has anyone had any success with these? We've been doing one with DS1 on behaving around cars (he tries to open all car doors and get into the drivers seat). Started about 10 days ago and its having no effect so far although if you ask him what he is supposed to do, he knows and can recite back. He just doesn't give a shit when it comes to the crunch.

We had a lot of help writing the story as we did it on the earlybird plus course. They said that it might take up to 2 weeks to work but generally they do if they are written right. He is being read it before school, at school and at the childminders so everyone is trying their best. We are having a lot of hitting/kicking (at me) when I pick him up from the CM which is basically because I'm not letting him open the car doors. He is also a bit tired due to end of term and unfortunately its coincided with his normal transport being changed so he's a bit unsettled about that.

How long do we persist for?

It sounds to me as if he understands the story, but he needs more of an incentive to stick to it. Depending on his age and what he's generally like, you could try a reward system, even things like a reward chart if they work with him, and also at the same time you could try a sort of 'diversion'. The door thing is probably a sensory thing; if you could replace it with something more acceptable that gives him some of the same sensory gratification, that could help.

I don't think its a sensory thing (at least not any more) more that he wants to get in the car. He is obsessed with how cars work.

He is 5. Rewards don't really work unless they are instant so a chart won't have any effect. I am going to try giving him his ipod if he gets into the back seat without touching the car doors. We used that when he was getting out of his car seat and it worked then. He went mad when I picked him up from the childminders - even before we got near the car, hitting me and I picked him up to carry him to the car as he was refusing to walk and he was hitting me around the head. If we don't sort it out now then its going to be even harder when he's older. He is starting to hurt me

Could you remind him of the story when he's in the situation, kind of a "What happens now, DS?" kind of thing? Or does that not work either?

Yep - we do that but he just gets very upset and says children can open car doors. Once he's in his seat with the seat belt on he usually apologises but it is a fight to get to that point.

Is he trying to open the doors when you're driving or before he gets in?

Before we get in. He doesn't try it when we're in the car. And in any case, there are child locks on the back doors.

So could it be more a routine or ritual for him? If allowed, does he open all four doors, have a sit in the driver's sit and then move (if asked?) to his own? I work with autistic children (who are not at the stage for social stories, working around level p3) and some of them have similar things (one girl will not leave the toilet without having her teeth brushed afterwards for example)

I'm not sure. He will go for the drivers door first but if he can't get there before an adult he will go for one of the others. He has to be prised out of the drivers seat kicking and shouting. He often opens the boot on his way past which is v irritating cos I don't always realise and after I've got him into his seat and start to drive off the boot open light comes on and I have to get out to shut it.

However we may have turned a corner.

Last night, I picked him up from the CM. She said they had been going over and over the story. I said he could walk next to me and wait for me to open the door. He ran off (which is normal) and went straight for the drivers door. At which point I thought here we go again. I said that was a bad choice. He got out, waited while I opened the passenger door and got into his seat without a fuss. I nearly fell over. I made a massive fuss of him and when we got home he got out of his seat and went inside the house without touching the doors. We will keep going, but fingers crossed that it wasn't a blip.