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Social Stories
Social Stories are a fun and easy way to understand ideas, concepts, or behavior in social situations. There are many social stories for autism. Topics can range from “Making Eye Contact”, to “Being Patient”, to “Taking Care of Your Electronic Devices.”
The stories are meant to be engaging while also sharing information that can be replicated and practiced in different situations. This is why they are one of the most popular autism resources for parents.
Have a social story idea you'd love to see?
Our Services
At Autism Behavior Services, Inc., our social groups offer engaging and supportive activities for autism designed to help those who are neurodiverse build meaningful connections and improve social confidence. Our foundations are rooted in applied behavior-analysis principles and effectively ensure that whether a child is in our preschool “Giggle Group,” the elementary through high school “Let’s L.A.F.F.™” group, or our Adult Group they are supported through evidence-based strategies that promote social connections, communication, and independence across all stages of development.
Each session consists of structured lessons and creative activities that focus on social learning topics like reading social cues, initiating conversation, teamwork, and maintaining friendships. By offering a combination of free play, discussion, modeling, role-play, group games, and reflection, we create rich opportunities to safely practice new skills for all ages.
From early childhood through adulthood, each group follows a structured, developmentally appropriate approach to support meaningful progress and long-term generalization. From playful social learning in the “Giggle Group”, to empathy-building and teamwork in “Let’s L.A.F.F.™”, to communication and independence in our Adult Groups, every program helps participants apply new skills in real-life settings. To explore which group best meets your needs, we welcome you to reach out and take the next step toward meaningful growth!
Social Story Guide
Making a Social Story: A Helpful Guide for Families and Educators
Making a social story can help children and individuals better understand routines, new experiences, social expectations, and everyday situations. Social stories are widely used by parents, teachers, and caregivers to reduce anxiety, build confidence, and prepare for transitions, school activities, appointments, and social interactions.
This guide explains what a social story is, when to use one, and how to create a personalized story with simple steps, supportive language, coping strategies, and visuals.
Read the Full Guide to Making a Social Story
Making a Social Story: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Caregivers
Social stories of all varieties are a powerful tool for helping children and individuals understand routines, expectations, and social situations in a calm and supportive way. Whether you're a parent getting your child ready for a dentist visit or a teacher supporting classroom transitions, making a social story can reduce anxiety and build confidence. The best part is that social stories are easy to personalize and can be used in just about any setting. Below is a simple step-by-step guide to help you create an effective social story that can be tailored for anyone and any situation.
What Is a Social Story and When Should You Use One?
A social story is a short, clear narrative that explains a specific situation, routine, or behavior expectation. When making a social story, the goal is to help the reader understand what is happening and what they can do in that moment. It also tries to help them understand the expectation in that specific social situation. Social stories are often written in first-person language to make them more relatable and personal. They are commonly used to support transitions, new environments, and changes in routine. Social stories can also help with school situations, sensory challenges, medical appointments, and practicing social interactions like taking turns, asking for help, or making new friends.
Step 1: Identify the Situation and Choose a Clear Goal
The first step in making a social story is selecting one specific situation to focus on. Keeping the story centered on a single event/topic helps prevent confusion and makes it easier for the person acquiring the skill to follow. Examples include “going to the doctor,” “brushing your teeth,” “joining a group activity,” or “getting ready for school.” Once the situation is chosen, decide what outcome you want the story to support. Goals may include reducing anxiety, increasing cooperation, or teaching expected behavior in a new environment. When the goal is clear and practical, the social story becomes more effective and easier to use consistently. This will make it easier for the person to implement it.
Step 2: Break the Experience Into Simple, Predictable Steps
A well-written social story should explain the situation in a clear sequence of events. When making a social story, describe the order of events including where it will take place and who will be involved. Predictable steps help the reader feel prepared and reduce uncertainty. Use short sentences and concrete language that matches the person’s level of understanding. You can also include choices or actions they can take, such as raising their hand, asking for a break, or waiting calmly. Keeping the structure simple helps the story feel safe, organized, and easy to remember. That will come in handy the more you implement the story.
Step 3: Use Supportive Language, Feelings, and Coping Strategies
Using supportive language is a key part of making a social story because it helps the reader feel encouraged instead of judged. Depending on the content of the social story, it’s helpful to include emotions the person may experience, such as feeling nervous, excited, overwhelmed, or unsure. This helps normalize their feelings and makes the story more relatable to their situation. Social stories should try to include calming strategies like deep breathing, asking for help, using a sensory tool, or taking a break. It’s best to steer clear of negative or harsh phrases and instead focus on reassurance and positive guidance. The overall tone should be calm, respectful, and confidence-building to the reader.
Step 4: Add Visuals to Improve Understanding
Many individuals benefit from visual support when learning a new routine or expectation. When making a social story, photos, icons, drawings, or simple illustrations go a long way toward getting your point across. Real photos of the actual environment (such as the classroom, dentist office, or school bus) can be extremely helpful, as that will allow readers to see those places being read about. Additionally, visuals improve comprehension, increase familiarity, and make the story easier to remember and understand. They also help individuals who have limited verbal language or who learn best through seeing images. Even simple visuals can make the social story far more engaging and effective than simply words on the page.
Step 5: Write, Personalize, and Review the Story Regularly
When making a social story, writing in first-person is often recommended. This allows the reader to directly connect with the message. Personalizing the story with names, locations, and familiar routines makes it more meaningful and relevant. It is also important to match the language to the individual’s communication level, which can mean using short phrases or full sentences. Read (or give them the option to read) the social story several times before the event so the reader can build familiarity and confidence. After the event happens, you can update the story based on what went well or what needs adjustment. Consistent review, practice, and reworking make social stories more effective over time.
Examples of Social Story Topics
- Going to the dentist
- Fire drills and emergency procedures
- Riding the school bus
- Going to a birthday party (or tolerating other social situations)
- Visiting a grocery store
- Getting ready for bed
- Starting a new school or classroom (or following general classroom/school rules)
- Meeting new people
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making a Social Story
One common mistake when making a social story is putting in too much information or filling it with long paragraphs. Social stories should be short and easy to read. Another mistake is using vague instructions like “be good” or “behave,” which may not clearly explain what the story wants the person to do. It’s also important not to include unrealistic promises such as “nothing will be scary” or “everything will be perfect.” One of the most important points to stress is that we are using this social story as a tool to help us cope and manage various situations. Avoid using a negative tone or focusing too heavily on what not to do. Lastly, avoid combining multiple goals into one story, as this can make it confusing and less effective.
FAQ: Making a Social Story
What is the best format for making a social story? The best format is a short, first-person story with easy-to-follow steps, supportive language, and engaging visuals when possible.
How long should a social story be? Most social stories should be short enough to read in 2–3 minutes, often around 5–10 simple sentences. They can be longer or shorter depending on the subject matter and interest of the reader.
Should social stories be written in first person? Yes, first-person language helps the reader relate to the story and understand expectations in a clear, direct way.
Can I use real photos when making a social story? Again, this plays into the interest of the reader. If they are more engaged by real photos, use that. If they gravitate toward animated ones with humans, animals, robots, etc., you should go with that as well.
How often should I read a social story before an event? Reading it daily or several times per week before the event is usually most effective. This can be faded back over time as the story becomes more familiar and the person acquires the skill in the story.
What situations are best suited for social stories? Social stories are best for routines, transitions, new experiences, and situations that may cause stress or confusion. However, you can create social stories about anything depending on what is needed.
How do I adapt a social story for different ages or communication needs? You can adjust the vocabulary, sentence length, and visuals to match the person’s developmental level and learning style.
What should I avoid when making a social story? Avoid vague wording, long text, overly complicated descriptions, unrealistic promises, negative or punitive tone, and trying to teach too many skills at once.
Contact Us / Request Consultation
Whether you’re looking for information on Autism, service providers, or just need ideas for yourself or someone else, we hope to provide you access to whatever information you seek.
Mailing address: 2080 N. Tustin Ave Santa Ana, CA 92705
FAQ
What is a social story?
A social story is a short, descriptive narrative that helps individuals—especially children with autism or developmental delays—understand social situations, expectations, and appropriate behaviors in a clear and supportive way. They can come in hardcopy or digital form, and be used in whatever way the person sharing the story needs.
Are there social stories for potty training?
Yes! And you can access ours here. A social story for potty training generally explains each step of using the bathroom—like recognizing the need to go, using the toilet, wiping and cleaning yourself, as well as washing your hands—so children feel prepared, confident, and less anxious about the process. There are also many other stories dealing with things like hygiene and social emotional issues.
Are ABSI social stories free?
All ABSI social stories in our library are FREE. They can be downloaded as digital books so you can access them on your PC, tablet, or other mobile device. Additionally, there is a video counterpart to the social story that you can stream as well. You can visit ABSI’s YouTube page here.
What’s the best way to use a social story?
While there is no right or wrong way to use a social story, you can begin using them when you feel it is most appropriate. Also, you can tailor the content to whoever you are sharing it with, so that if necessary, you just share the essential points. ABSI’s social stories are crafted by clinicians and behavior technicians with many years of experience in the field.