Here's a guideline of steps to follow when writing a Social Story:
Step 1. Always be guided by the philosophy of social humility.
Step 2. Gather information. This is a two-step process:
- Gather relevant information to improve the author’s understanding of the audience in relation to a situation, skill, or concept.
- Identify the specific topic(s) and the most critical information (focus).
Step 3. Use one title and descriptive and coaching sentences only.
- A Social Story title meaningfully represents the topic.
- Social Story has three parts: an introduction that describes the topic, a body that adds detail, and a conclusion that reinforces and summarizes the information.
Step 4. Tailor the format to the child.
Step 5. Use appropriate voice and vocabulary.
Step 6. Answer “WH-” questions about the context — who, what, when, where, why, and how.
Step 7. Celebrate the child’s strengths.
Step 8. Use a coaching sentence.
Step 9. Review and revise.
Step 10. Implement it following Social Story guidance.
We explore each step more in-depth, with a sample Social Story, in our article How to Write a Social Story — With Templates!
