Using Social Stories- What, Why, Who and Where
Explaining our complex world to children with disabilities can be very challenging. How to navigate social expectations in both new and everyday situations can seem insurmountable to many children, not to mention simply understanding what’s going on in the world around them. As parents and teachers, the task falls on us to make these things clear--or at least easier to understand. The use of social stories can help our children develop and refine their responses to a variety of situations that may seem overwhelming to them. Carol Gray developed Social Stories™ in 1990 as a tool to assist children with autism. You can learn more about Carol and Social Stories™ here.
“So, what are social stories?
Are they only for individuals with autism?
Why would I need one?
Where do I get a social story?
Can I write my own?”
So many questions! I’ll do my best to answer them all here.
What are Social Stories? Social stories are short stories using simple, direct language and plain pictures that help individuals learn about social situations that can be challenging for them. Using these types of stories can help your child process both typical and novel situations that have proven tough. Perhaps your child struggles with changing from one activity to another. A social story like this one from Jill Kuzma offers information that allows your child to prepare in advance for the transition to a new activity, to know what to expect, and to learn how they should react. Maybe your child is confused about the many changes that have occurred as a result of the coronavirus. Social stories to the rescue! Using simple language and pictures, your child can read a story (like this or this or this or this customizable story by The Nora Project Program Team) that explains this strange situation we’re in, or have it read to them. If your child is feeling anxious about not being able to go to school--there are social stories for that, too, like this one from Conscious Discipline. Repeated readings help your child review the situation and remember expectations, so keep that story handy!
Who should use them? While social stories were designed for individuals with autism, anyone who struggles with social skills or adjusting to new situations can benefit from this tool. Using visuals has long been one of the hallmark intervention strategies for individuals with autism (think visual schedules), but over time this strategy has become a mainstream tool for teaching social and adapted skills to any child who needs additional support in these areas. In other words, social stories are for anyone who needs them, diagnosis notwithstanding. If you need a simple way to convey important information about social situations and appropriate responses, social stories are for you.
Where can you find the perfect social story for your child? Convinced this might be helpful and want to get your hands on one? A simple Google search will turn up dozens of sites dedicated to social stories, and you can even search common scenarios like “social story bedtime routine” or “social story first plane ride” or “social story going to the doctor” for ready-made stories. Whatever the scenario, chances are your family isn’t the first one struggling with it.
But sometimes you may want to write a story to address something very specific to your child. Wait...can you write your own social story? Absolutely! And it’s really not hard once you know the format. Here are a couple of resources that can get you started, one from And Next Comes L and one from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.
For children with a vision and/or hearing impairment, you might want to consider adding objects to the social story, creating a storybook with tangible cues to assist in telling the storytelling process. For example, a story about the coronavirus could include objects such as soap and a mask. More information on this type of book can be found at Paths to Literacy or at Washington Sensory Disability Services.