Social Stories: What They Are and How to Write Them to Prepare for Changes and Unexpected Events

Going to the dentist, changing teachers, moving house, getting a haircut. Situations that are uncomfortable for anyone, and without prior information, can be simply unmanageable. Social stories exist to turn the unknown into something predictable. WHAT IS A SOCIAL STORY It is a brief text, written in the first person, that describes a specific situation: what will happen, where, with whom, what is expected of the child, and how they might feel. The concept was developed by Carol Gray in the nineties and remains one of the most widely used tools in autism. It is not a moral tale or a list of rules. It is descriptive information to reduce uncertainty. TYPES OF SENTENCES Descriptive (the majority): explain objective facts. "On Tuesdays, I go to the dentist's office." Perspective: explain what others feel or think. "The dentist wants my teeth to be healthy." Directive (the fewest): suggest a behavior, always positive and with flexibility. "I can try to open my mouth when the dentist asks me to." Affirmative: reinforce a shared value. "Almost all children go to the dentist." The recommended proportion is at least two to three descriptive sentences for every directive sentence. A story full of "shoulds" becomes a set of rules and loses its effectiveness. FIVE-STEP STRUCTURE Clear title: "I am going to get a haircut." Context: where, when, with whom. Sequence: what will happen in order, including important sensory details (the sound of the clippers, hair falling on the neck, the smell). What I can do: one or two concrete strategies ("I can bring my headphones," "I can watch a video on my phone"). Positive and realistic closing: "When it's over, we will go home." Avoid promising they will love it. WRITING RULES First person and present or near future tense. Short sentences, one idea per sentence. Literal vocabulary, no metaphors. Avoid absolutes: better "usually" or "most of the time" than "always," because if it fails one day, the story loses credibility. And add one image for every one or two sentences. WHEN AND HOW TO READ IT Read it several days in advance, at a quiet moment, and repeat it once or twice a day. Don't read it for the first time at the dentist's door. If possible, bring it printed or on a tablet to the location and review it just before entering. After the event, review it together: "this happened just like the story said." This reinforces trust in the system. COMMON MISTAKES Writing it in a warning tone ("I should not scream in the office"). Including too much information. Using it as punishment after a bad day. And creating it only for negative situations: they also work very well for preparing for pleasant things, like a birthday or a trip. HOW AUTISMDOCK SOLVES IT Writing a well-structured social story takes time, and unexpected events rarely give a week's notice. That's why AutismDock includes a Social Story creator: you choose the situation, age, and support level, and in seconds, you get a personalized story with the correct proportion of descriptive and directive sentences, illustrated with pictograms, and ready to be read aloud with a natural voice. You can edit any sentence, add real photos of the place or people involved, save it to the child's profile, and print it from the Print Center to carry in their backpack. And for last-minute changes, the anticipation system allows you to announce a modification to the routine with a specific symbol and a brief explanation, so the change is no longer a surprise. A social story does not eliminate discomfort. It eliminates uncertainty, which is often the hardest part.