What are social stories?
Social stories are short, simple stories that describe a specific situation from a child’s point of view. They explain what usually happens, why it happens, how other people might think or feel, and what the child can try to do. They were created by educator Carol Gray to support autistic children, and they are now widely used with toddlers, preschoolers, and children with ADHD, anxiety, speech delays or other learning differences.
A social story is not a set of rules. The best social stories mostly describe and reassure, and only gently suggest what to do. That is why they work for children who resist direct instructions: the story shares information, and the child gets to make sense of it at their own pace.
How to use these free social stories
- Pick the story that matches the situation your child is finding hard.
- Read it online or print it. Each card has one or two short sentences and a picture symbol.
- Read it together during calm moments for several days, then again right before the situation.
- Personalize it. Every story page has a free tool that rewrites the story with your child’s name, age and pronouns.
Social story examples by situation
Our library covers some of the situations parents and teachers ask about most often: personal space, potty training, hitting, sharing, biting, transitions, waiting, telling the truth, getting a haircut and moving to a new house. For anything else, such as the dentist, a fire drill, the first day of school or a new baby, use the social story generator to write a custom story in seconds.
When to read a social story
Timing matters more than length. Read the story during calm moments, ideally every day for several days before the situation, and once more just before it happens. Avoid reading it as a consequence right after a difficult moment, because the child may start to connect the story with being in trouble. Keep the wording the same each time, let the child hold the pages, and celebrate when you see them use one of the strategies from the story in real life.
Tips for writing your own social story
- Write from the child’s perspective, usually in the first person (“I”).
- Describe more than you direct: aim for at least two describing sentences for every “I can try” sentence.
- Use literal, positive words. Avoid “never”, “must” and idioms.
- Include feelings and one or two simple coping strategies.
- Keep it short: six to ten pages, one idea per page.
Learn more in our guide What Is a Social Story?, or start from a blank printable social story template.