What are social stories
Have you come across social stories? They are like custom-made books or scripts that help kids navigate new experiences or activities. They explain the details of the activity – e.g. what is involved, where it is happening, who will be there and why they are doing it. This post will take you through what social stories are, how to create social stories for children, and how they help, and what they are not.
Why use them
Imagine a storybook that explains to a child what to expect in specific situations – that’s kind of like a social story.
These stories can help kids understand different situations and reduce worries they might have – because they know what’s coming and what to expect. It can be an excellent tool for kids who struggle with changes in their day and for kids who find it difficult to cope with new situations.
Making social stories
When you want to make a social story, the first step is to identify what the child needs help with. This could be anything from dealing with changes in daily routines to meeting new people or doing specific tasks.
After you know what the story needs to cover, you create it, making sure the language and content match the child’s age and understanding. These stories can be made into actual books or digital ones, and using images or photos to help explain things is a great idea. Try to incorporate the child in the making of the story.
A sample social story: Visiting the dentist
A social story about going to the dentist would explain all the steps involved in a dental visit, like waiting in the lobby, meeting the dentist, and what the dentist will do. It would end by explaining the benefits of the visit like having healthy teeth.
Using social stories
Once the story is ready, an adult would read it with the child. This would usually happen just before the child needs to do what the story explains. After reading the story, the adult can answer any questions the child might have.
You can read the story as many times as needed or requested. As the child becomes more comfortable with the situation, you can read the story less and less until they don’t need it anymore.
Changing social stories to suit kids
Every child is different, and so you can change how you use social stories to suit each child. If a child can’t read yet, you can read the story to them or record it for them to listen to. Pictures can be a big help for children who like to see things visually. You could also add interactive elements like role-playing parts of the story.
A real-life example
We’ll look at the story of Tommy, a 6-year-old boy who was worried about starting at a new school. Tommy’s parents and his therapist used a social story to help him understand what would happen at his new school.
The social story they made covered everything from getting ready for school in the morning, riding the school bus, meeting his new teacher, and what he would do at school. To make the story easier to understand, they used real pictures of the school, his classroom, the school bus, and his teacher.
In the weeks before school started, Tommy’s parents read the story with him every day, answering his questions and helping him understand what was going to happen. When the first day of school came, Tommy appeared less worried, Tommy, his parents and teachers were really proud of how he managed his first week at school.
As the weeks went on, Tommy got more and more comfortable at school, and they didn’t need to read the story as often. After a few months, Tommy didn’t need the story at all.
Adaptions for social stories
Children can engage with social stories in various ways based on their capabilities. If they can’t read, stories can be read to them or recorded for them to listen to while following along. The combination of auditory and visual input can enhance comprehension and retention.
For children who are more visually inclined, incorporating illustrations or photos into the social story can be particularly helpful. Visual supports provide concrete representations of concepts, making them easier to grasp and remember.
Additionally, social stories can be adapted to different learning styles and preferences. Some children may benefit from interactive elements, such as using props or role-playing, to reinforce the message of the story.
What social stories are not and things to avoid
While social stories can be very helpful for many children, it’s essential to understand what they are not intended to do and avoid some common mistakes when creating and using them.
- Social stories are not a quick fix or a magic solution. They are tools designed to support children in understanding specific situations, skills, or activities.
- Social stories should not be used as a form of discipline. They are meant to be positive and supportive tools to guide children through different situations.
- Social stories should not be overly complex or abstract. They need to be simple, concise, and match the child’s understanding level.
- Do not skip the child’s involvement in the process. It is crucial to involve the child in the creation of the story whenever possible. This could mean asking them about their concerns or having them choose some of the pictures to use.
- Social stories should not be used to encourage masking or suppressing a child’s genuine feelings or behaviours. They should provide guidance rather than dictate how a child should feel or react. Remember, each child is unique and experiences emotions and situations differently. The goal of social stories is to support understanding and skill acquisition, not to impose a rigid ‘correct’ way of being.
- Compliance should not be the primary objective of a social story.
Remember, the purpose of social stories is to support and guide, not to control or dictate. They should foster understanding, not stress or discomfort. As with any tool, their effectiveness depends on how they are used. It’s important to keep these points in mind while creating and using social stories to ensure they remain a positive and helpful resource.
Related resources
Interested in exploring further resources and visual aids for morning and nighttime routines? Here are some resources that may be of interest:
- Sleep & Morning Routine Bundle – visual checklists, social narratives & more
- Teeth brushing social narrative, visual prompts, data collection and more
- Face washing social narrative story, visual prompts, activity analysis, and more
Questions
If you have any questions or need further assistance with social stories, please do not hesitate to get in touch here or at sophia.occupationaltherapy@gmail.com.
