Creating a Social Story

A new baby, a move to a new house, the start of a new school year, or attending a birthday party. Milestone events and life changes may be exciting for many, but for some children and adults with developmental disabilities these events can be incredibly stressful. If your child has difficulty navigating new experiences, preparing in advance with a social story may help to alleviate some of their stress and anxiety.

Social stories are brief, visual explanations that detail what you might expect to happen during an upcoming life event. They can be helpful when your child needs a little extra preparation for a new activity or a known change to their regular routine. In addition to reviewing individual parts of the upcoming experience, social stories list appropriate behaviors so that a child knows not only what to expect, but what is expected of them!

Finding Social Stories

Social stories for many common situations and experiences exist online in a variety of parenting forums. To find a story that matches that event or milestone your family is preparing for, check out some of the following resources.

• From ABA Educational Resources, this page includes a collection of social stories related to topics including safety, setting boundaries, self-care, and traveling. Many of the stories are written in a way that makes them customizable for your child’s unique circumstances.

Creating and Personalizing Your Social Story

Writing a social story from scratch may seem intimidating. Whether you choose to create your own story or customize an existing story, the following resources can help you navigate the social story development process.

• From Autism Parent Magazine, this article breaks down the key features and components of social stories.

• From Autism Speaks, these templates can help you customize and prepare social stories for the child(ren) in your life.

• If you’d like to do a deeper dive into understanding the history and development of social stories, check out this list of books authored by Carol Gray, the original creator of social stories.

Additional Social Story Resources

• Back to School: The first day of school is one event that can cause stress and anxiety for a child who may be used to their more relaxed summer schedule. Creating a social story can help familiarize them with their new surroundings, ease fears and help with the transition from summer vacation to the new school year. Your child’s teachers, therapists, and family members can provide details to include in the social story. This back to school social story can serve as an example or a template for your back to school needs.

• Getting a Haircut: Sitting still, trusting a stranger with unfamiliar tools, and being in a new place can be really hard for some children with disabilities. From professional hair stylists at KidSnips, this social story may help!

• Going to the Dentist: Most people can relate to having anxiety related to dental procedures and exams. This list of social stories from Pathfinders for Autism includes several options to prepare for dental care.

• Parties & Holidays: If you’re heading to a family party, ask the host to send a few pictures of their home, menu for the party, and information about any activities or games planned for the occasion. Having these details in advance can make the event smoother for your child, and more enjoyable for everyone. This social story may help you prepare for a birthday party, and this list of five Thanksgiving social stories may help you prepare for this busy holiday.

• Moving to a New Home: Moving can be stressful for anyone, but for individuals who have trouble pivoting and transitioning to new things, moving requires a lot of preparation. From Kidmunicate, this article includes social stories on moving and tips to develop your own new home social story.

Social Story resources for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since early 2020 new social norms have entered our daily lives. Even as things like mask wearing, learning at home, and social distancing have become common place, the transition to these new norms has and may continue to be difficult for some. These social story resources may help you and your child navigate some common pandemic challenges.

• This four minute video from OCALI offers tips for developing social stories during unexpected challenges like the current pandemic.

• From the Autism Research Network, here is a list of social stories and priming videos for topics including hygiene, communicating COVID-19 symptoms, and medical examinations.