Research & evidence
Useful tools.
Thoughtful expectations.
Visual narratives can help explain a situation through words and pictures. Research on Social Stories has found mixed results, and outcomes depend on the child, the story, and how it is used.
These sources concern the broader approach. They are not clinical trials of StoryRetriever, and we do not present them as evidence of a guaranteed product outcome.
Go straight to the source
Karkhaneh and colleagues, 2010
Social Stories to improve social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review. Autism, 14(6), 641–662.
This review analyzed six controlled trials. It reported promising findings alongside uncertainty about effectiveness. It does not establish that every story, delivery method, or app produces the same result.
Kokina and Kern, 2010
Social Story interventions for students with autism spectrum disorders: a meta-analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 812–826.
This analysis of single-subject research found low to questionable overall effectiveness, with results varying by the outcome being addressed. It is one reason to avoid promising a particular result for every child.
Carol Gray’s Social Stories criteria
Social Stories 10.4. Carol Gray.
Social Stories are a specific approach with defining criteria. A visual narrative or an illustrated page is not automatically a Social Story. Use the original guidance when following that approach.
How that informs our product
- Accurate personalization
- Add familiar images and describe the actual situation. Review words when routines change.
- The child's perspective
- Leave room for questions and different ways to communicate. A story should not assume how a child feels.
- Professional judgment
- Use appropriate guidance when choosing a method. A software feature does not replace assessment of the person and context.
- Reviewable use
- Observe whether a resource is understandable and useful. Record limitations separately from any claimed clinical outcome.
StoryRetriever gives families and professionals tools to add familiar photos, write their own words, and share the resulting story. Personalize details accurately, invite the child’s perspective, and review whether a story is useful in their situation.
For population context, the CDC’s 2022 surveillance data identified autism in about 1 in 31 children aged eight across its monitoring sites. This is a population estimate, not evidence about any intervention. Read the CDC data and scope.