How to Create Custom Social Stories

Commonly used with children who have autism and other communication-based disorders, social stories are gentle tools for reinforcing appropriate behaviors. The stories are short--from a few sentences to a page long--and simply written. They walk your child through a social situation with which he or she has difficulty. The problem and solution are presented as facts, and it is assumed that the child will demonstrate positive behavior. Customizing social stories for your child will help him or her relate to them and better understand the lesson.

Things You'll Need

• Writing utensil
• Paper
• Photograph or Drawing of your child performing the task or behavior
• Glue or Tape

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Print the story neatly, and use short, concise sentences. Write in the first person. If your story is about staying in line at school, you might begin with: "I go to school with lots of other kids. We walk in a line when we leave our classroom."

• 2

  Describe the situation: "When we need to leave the classroom, we all get up from our desks and line up by the door. We wait until Mrs. Jones says it's time to leave. We stay in the line until we get where we are going." Mentioning his or her teacher by name reinforces the idea that the lesson applies directly to your child.

• 3

  Make the reason for the lesson clear and simple: "When we walk in a line, Mrs. Jones knows we are all together. This helps us stay safe and get where we need to be on time."

• 4

  Mention the appropriate behavior in a positive way: "When I walk in line, I will stay in my place with the other children. I will be quiet and not run ahead."

• 5

  You might customize the story further by adding more detail. If the children in the class always walk in the same order, you might add: "When I see Jenny in front of me, I know I am in the right place." Or "I am always third in line, and I will stay there until we get where we're going."

• 6

  Finish by making a note of how your child might feel when he or she completes the task successfully: "When I stay in line from the classroom to the cafeteria, I feel proud. I get there safely and have plenty of time to eat my lunch."

• 7

  Add a photo or drawing of your child that relates to the story. You might snap a photo of him or her in line at school, or draw a picture of your child with his or her classmates in a line. You could even use family and friends to stand in for the class in a photo you take at home, perhaps with the teacher-figure wearing a name tag reading "Mrs. Jones."

• 8

  Read the story with your child often. It may be helpful to read it every morning before school until it becomes habit for him or her to stay in line.