Social Stories
Some children have an extremely difficult time entering unfamiliar places. It can be very frustrating because you want to go out with your family and do fun family things. Perhaps you would like to visit the zoo, go to the movies, or visit a relative, but your child with autism prevents you from enjoying these family outings. You can use social stories to help out in almost any situation and they are easy enough to write yourself. They should be used to help you prepare your child for a new situation or a situation that makes them nervous. They can be short and to the point on a note card or they can be a few pages long with detailed drawing or photographs.
I like to sit down with my kids and write the story out together. I go into every detail I can imagine and concentrate on what I foresee or know from experience will be the most challenging aspect of the trip. I also focus on the behaviors I want to see instead of what not to do, just to keep everything positive. I will write the story out with the child at least the day before and reread it a few times before taking the trip and also on the car ride over.
Here are a few examples of social stories that I have made/written, click the links to view them.
Going on a trip to the movie theater
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