Social stories can be a means to prevent meltdowns or overwhelming anxiety in children who have not developed a sense of the ebb and flow of life, to enable them to prepare for routine events which might otherwise seem to them a succession of terrifying one-offs.
Pioneered by autism specialist Carol Grey, social stories use narrative to help children understand and respond to a range of situations, from joining in playground games to visiting the dentist or going shopping.
Each story is unique. It’s written for and about the child concerned, taking an aspect of their lives they find challenging, terrifying or incomprehensible and presenting it in a fictionalised form that addresses the issue and gives the child a way of dealing with it.
Social stories can be used to prepare a child for something new, introducing it well in advance so that, when encountered, they can be familiar with its more worrying aspects.
You don’t have to be a professional storyteller or writer to create a good social story but you do have to know how to construct them so that they are helpful.
Stories often combine:
Here’s a sample social story about visiting the dentist from a US charity: www.livingwellwithautism.com
Many autism organisations have more details about what goes into their structure and content. You can also buy collections of social stories on-line.
Social stories aren’t a quick fix. They are so personal to each child that they need to be planned with much thought and sensitivity if they are to work. But when well-constructed, they can be extremely effective.
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