Social stories are a learning tool that helps communicate information to children with disabilities, including autism, learning disabilities, and intellectual disabilities. These stories are most often used with autistic children to help them learn how to approach and act in situations like fire drills, exchanges with peers, or how to handle emotions. It’s important to have social stories for kids that you can personalize, and we’ve got you covered with a free printable bundle of 10 social stories!
Get your free printable social stories bundle by filling out our quick form.
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What are social stories?
The idea is that autistic children or children with intellectual disabilities need explicit instruction in what to do in social situations because they may not read social cues. So, stories about how to introduce themselves or share can teach these skills that other kids learn more intuitively. And social stories that tell kids how to handle routines, like fire drills, can help them anticipate what’s coming up so they can respond appropriately.
Social stories need to clearly show:
- The setting or event
- Things that typically happen in that setting or event
- Actions or behaviors that are expected in that setting or event
Then, the student can explain what will happen and follow the steps during the real-world event.
How do I use a social story?
The key to using social stories is to present them just before the situation arises. For example, a child will review a social story about how to talk with a peer in the cafeteria before they go to the cafeteria. Then, they can apply the steps they learned, including phrases to use to start a conversation, when they go into the cafeteria.
Tips for using a social story
Personalized, relevant, and applicable social stories work best.
- Create the story with the student, using images the student can understand and photos where appropriate.
- Read the story just before the event that they describe.
- Remind the student of the story’s key points. Talk about: What does the story tell us to do?
As the student learns the skill, you can phase out the story or create a more advanced story to tackle the next skill.
What’s included in the Social Stories for Kids bundle?
We’ve developed a bundle of 10 social stories that you can personalize and print to help students:
Give personal space
Stay safe during fire drills
Keep hands and feet to self
Manage anger
Be a friend
Join in an activity
Take turns (share)
Tell the truth
Ask for help
Wait their turn
Grab your free printable Social Stories for Kids bundle
Download all the stories, and personalize them for your students by taking photos or using our images to show students what’s expected. Then, it’s time to teach!
