Color Versus Black and White Pictures

For those of you who use social stories and visual schedules you may find this research interesting and helpful (save you some money on color ink).  A recent study had 22, 4-6 year olds, create stories with either color or black and white pictures.  The stories that the children created were then analyzed on word count, content and vocabulary.  The results indicated that the stories told did not differ in word count, content and vocabulary.  When asked which story the children preferred, an equal number of children preferred each story (color or black and white).  When asked why the children preferred one version over another, only 4 children stated it was becasue of the color pictures.  Therefore, the researchers concluded that color or black and white pictures did not influence typically developing children's abilities to create stories.

Not sure you can apply it to social stories or visual schedules but it would make an interesting study if someone did.  Do you think it makes a difference if a social story or visual schedule is in color?  

Reference: Phyillis Schneider, Jeane Rivarde and Buffy Debreuil  Does colour affect the quality or quantity of children’s stories elicited by pictures? Child Language Teaching and Therapy October 2011 27: 371-378, first published on September 9, 2011 doi:10.1177/0265659011414278 

Sensory Mini Books and Charts -  

Electronic book to create 7 sensory mini books, 7 charts, 7 four square strips and over 100 picture word cards

Find out more at 
www.yourtherapysource.com/minisensory.html