Carol Gray and The Gray Center work in collaboration with a select group of presenters approved to use Carol Gray's materials to provide Social Story trainings. See below for a list of approved presenters.

OPTION ONE: One-day workshop

Workshop Description: Parents and professionals have used Social Stories™ for many years to effectively share social information with children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other social-communication delays and differences. Using lecture, demonstration, case examples, and activities, this one-day workshop: 1) describes the research-based rationale that supports the approach, 2) introduces each of the ten characteristics that define each Social Story™, and 3) shares strategies for introducing and implementing a Social Story™ at home or school. In addition, participants will have plenty of opportunities to practice skills and concepts as they are introduced, and to write a Social Story™ for a child, adolescent, or adult currently in their care. This is a fun and fast-paced, upbeat workshop that, in addition to teaching participants to write and implement a Social Story™, provides plenty of positive and practical new ideas along the way!

Workshop Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• describe three cognitive theories that are central to the Social Story™ rationale (Joint Attention, Theory of Mind & Central Coherence);

• describe the meaning of “social curiosity” and its practical implications for those working on behalf of children and adults with ASD;

• distinguish a Social Story™ from other visual strategies (for example, social scripts or task analyses);

• Write a Social Story™ that meets all the defining criteria, and

• Develop a plan for implementing a Story at home or school.

OPTION TWO: SOCIAL STORIES™ KEYNOTE OR SHORT PRESENTATION

Possible keynote/presentation topics, titles and descriptions (objectives and detailed time ordered agendas for presentations are available on request):

A. Keynote Title: What We Didn’t Expect from Social Stories™: Discoveries Between the Lines. Description: Social Stories™ are frequently used by parents and professionals to share accurate social information and applaud a child’s achievements. Over the years, they have held some surprising and unexpected lessons for parents and professionals. This presentation uses lecture and case examples to explore the lessons hiding between the lines of every Social Story™.

B. Presentation Title: How to Write and Develop Social Stories™ (minimum 2.5 hours of instruction time) Description: A Social Story™ is a process and a product that shares accurate social information via a special writing style and format that is consistent with the learning characteristics of children, adolescents, and adults with ASD. This is an introductory presentation for anyone wanting to learn to write and develop a Social Story™ according to the new 10.0 defining criteria and guidelines, and provides an excellent review and update for anyone who may already be familiar with the approach.

Team Social Stories™ Members

• Carol Gray

• Laurel Falvo (formerly Laurel Hoekman): Laurel Falvo is the Executive Director of The Gray Center. She has been using Social Stories™ at home with her own children for over ten years, and has more recently used them while consulting with web visitors from around the world. Laurel was a co-editor of The Social Stories(TM) Quarterly. She presents on Social Stories™ in addition to topics related to basic autism spectrum disorders and social understanding, as well as including people with disabilities in churches and other settings. Click here for Laurel's presentation topics and schedule.

• Catherine Faherty: At age 13, when working at a summer day camp for handicapped children, Catherine knew immediately that this would be her life’s work. Her early education and training was at Eastern Michigan University where she worked in the afternoons at the lab school for exceptional children on campus. After several years teaching typically developing children as well as children with learning differences, she became affiliated with the TEACCH Program in 1985, first as a classroom teacher and currently as a psychoeducational specialist at the Asheville TEACCH Center, one of the regional centers of the TEACCH program through the University of North Carolina. There, she participates on diagnostic evaluations; works with children and adults, and their families; consults to classrooms; runs social groups for adults; and is a TEACCH trainer nationally and internationally. She has written manuals used in trainings, developed several training models, and has written a book for children with autism and their parents and teachers; Aspergers…What Does it Mean to Me? features a wealth of structured teaching strategies, and provides workbook pages for verbal children and youth with ASD to help build self-knowledge, understanding, and self-esteem. Catherine, as a member of Carol Gray’s “Team Social Stories™”, enjoys promoting mutual understanding by training professionals and families in the use of Social Stories™.

• Whitney Mitchell-Krusniak: Whitney has been working with students and families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders since 1995. Prior to graduating from Western Michigan University’s Bachelor of Science program in 2000, she worked as a social worker for Family and Children Services (Kalamazoo, MI) as a program facilitator for children with Developmental Disabilities, Emotional Impairments and ASD. Ms. Mitchell-Krusniak was previously employed as a classroom teacher for the Oakland Schools Autism Program and is currently servicing children with ASD as a Teacher Consultant for the Jenison Public School District and the Ottawa Area Intermediate (MI). Ms. Mitchell-Krusniak completed her Master’s Degree in Special Education Administration from Grand Valley State University in 2004.

• Eileen Arnold (UK): Eileen Arnold is a former speech and language therapist. She has extensive practice using Social Stories(TM) in a wide range of settings and has worked closely with Carol Gray. She is currently consultant to, and lectures and presents for the Northamptonshire Society of Autism. Eileen has written Revealing the Hidden Social Code with Marie Howley.

• Marie Howley (UK): Marie Howley is a Senior Lecturer with the Centre for Special Needs Education and Research at the University of Northampton, specializing in Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Marie has extensive teaching experience with children and adults across the age and ability spectrum. She has particular interests in the use of strategies to enhance curriculum access and promote social inclusion for people with ASD's. Marie has written Revealing the Hidden Social Code with Eileen Arnold.

• Tomoko Haramaki (Japan): Tomoko Haramaki is the Director of SOREIYU Educational Consulting and Life Support Center for Autism in Japan. She had the practical training on ASD at Division TEACCH of the University of North Carolina for a year from 1992-1993. She has stayed in UK to learn more about ASD in 2000-2002. Under an agreement with the publishers, she translated 'Social Stories 10.0', 'Illustrated Social Stories Book' and Some of the Social Stories Quaterlies into Japanese. Her organization regulary hosts the Social Stories Workshops by Carol Gray in Japan.

(This list comprises individuals selected personally by Carol Gray. They have worked with Carol Gray and Social Stories(TM) for many years. *At this time there are no plans to include additional individuals in "Team Social Stories").

TRADEMARK INFORMATION

If you have a question about using Social Stories™ or training others to write them, please note the following trademark information:

The words "Social Story" and "Social Stories", and their uncapitalized variants, are trademarks originated and owned by Carol Gray.

"Social Stories" written following Carol Gray's Social Story Guidelines are distinctively associated with Carol Gray's name and reputation as an educator of persons with autism spectrum disorders, their parents and the professionals working with them. Among writers, professionals and parents concerned with autism spectrum disorders, the terms "Social Story", "Social Stories" and their uncapitalized variants have an understood reference to Carol Gray as the originator and chief exponent of Social Stories as effective tools in the education and counseling of persons with autistic spectrum disorders.

Carol Gray's own examples of Social Stories™, and her discussions of them, can be found in her books published by Future Horizons, Inc. and Jessica Kingsley Publishers, in numerous articles written by her for The Morning News and the Jenison Autism Journal (formerly published by the Jenison Public Schools, Jenison, Michigan), in The Social Stories™Quarterly (published by The Gray Center) and on THIS web site operated by the Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding at http://www.thegraycenter.org/.

No individuals, corporations, organizations or web sites other than those named above (and members of "Team Social Stories") have been authorized by Carol Gray to give trainings, or sell, distribute or publish any Story, book, compilation or other item as a Social Story or Social Stories. Designating any presentation/training, Story, book, compilation or other item using the terms "Social Story", "Social Stories" or their uncapitalized variants, without the express permission of Carol Gray is a deceptive trade practice and an infringement of her exclusive right to use those words, coined by her, to mark written materials produced by her or by licensees of her in careful compliance with her original methods and standards. Trademark infringement exposes violators to legal liability for monetary damages and injunctive remedies.

Click here for more information on Social Stories.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

* We frequently receive questions about what's acceptable and what is not acceptable with regard to the use of Social Stories. Our Executive Director, Laurel Hoekman, shares a few guidelines that may be helpful:

1. Social Stories™ are not intended to be sold for profit, and may not be marketed for purchase by anyone other than Carol Gray. Anyone offering to sell a Social Story™that they have written does not have permission from Carol Gray to do so, and is in violation of this trademark information. Social Stories(TM) may be shared at any time, as long as the Stories are not exchanged for a fee.

2. Only Carol Gray and other members of "Team Social Stories(TM)" are authorized to offer Social Story™ training sessions or workshops. To clarify and explain this: There are a few options available for those who would like to receive Social Story(TM) training.

First, there is the DVD workshop, Writing Social Stories™ with Carol Gray which guarantees that the guidelines are presented the same each and every time an audience is trained. Also, no one is prevented from sharing with others what THEY have learned about how to write Social Stories™, but we encourage people to always refer an audience and others to refer to the guidelines as described in Social Stories 10.0 the revised guidelines and criteria written by Carol Gray.

Attend a presentation by Carol Gray (check here for her speaking schedule)

Attend a presentation by a member of "Team Social Stories™" a handful of people selected and trained by Carol to teach others how to write Social Stories™

Brush up on your skills using Social Stories (TM) 10.0 the updated guidelines and criteria for writing a Social Story™.

Learn more about using Social Stories(TM) in conjunction with other instructional methods--and about the research required to write a proper and effective Social Story(TM) using Revealing the Hidden Social Code by Marie Howley and Eileen Arnold.

3. Can I publish a book or chapter with reference to Carol Gray's Social Stories™? I'd like to use this vehicle for instructing others how to use this valuable tool. We appreciate people's love for Social Stories™, as well as their desire to share them with others. However, improper use of references to Carol Gray and Social Stories™ can expose an author and publisher to the potential for legal action. We highly recommend that potential publishers and/or authors send their manuscript to The Gray Center for review prior to publishing. Due to the high volume of such requests, The Gray Center now charges a fee for this service. Contact us for more information.

4. Will a Social Story™ fix a problem behavior that my child/student is currently exhibiting? According to the guidelines and criteria for writing a Social Story™, the intent of a Story should never be to change a behavior or "fix" a problem. A Social Story™ is written because a parent or professional recognizes that an individual may be missing basic social information. This lack of information can frequently lead to behaviors or actions that are undesirable. Therefore, the use of a Social Story™ may lead to a change in behavior or actions as understanding increases, but the goal is to provide the information, not to effect change. Remember also that half of all Social Stories™ should be written to applaud an accomplishment or to provide encouragement.