How do I write a Social Story™ for my child?

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!