How to write a social story for your child (with a simple template)

By The Jay Way team

Published 24 October 2026 · Checked against official sources 24 October 2026

A social story is a short, personalised story that explains a social situation to a child: what happens, who will be there and what is expected. To write one, pick a single situation, gather the facts, write it simply in your child’s voice using positive, reassuring language, and read it with your child shortly before the event. Social Stories were developed in 1990 by Carol Gray, a teacher working with young autistic children.

The short version: Raising Children Network says social stories explain social situations to autistic children and help them learn how to handle them. They’re usually read just before the event they describe, and the story should be reviewed and updated if the situation changes. Parents can write them, and a therapist can teach you how. The simple template and haircut example below follow the common steps in guides from health services and universities. They’re a general starting point, not a substitute for guidance from your child’s therapist.

What is a social story?

Raising Children Network describes social stories as stories that explain social situations to autistic children and help them learn how to handle these situations. They’re sometimes called social scripts, social narratives or story-based interventions.

It says they can help children know what to expect in situations like the supermarket and playground, and cope with changes or unexpected events. It also says they’re used together with other therapies.

Raising Children Network says social stories were initially developed for autistic children and are also sometimes used to help children with learning difficulties or intellectual disability. It adds that they might be less effective for children with low comprehension skills.

On whether they work, Raising Children Network says research shows social stories can have positive effects for autistic children, particularly on behaviour and skill development, but that most studies are small and more research is needed. It says stories need to be customised to a child’s individual needs and used at the right time.

Where do social stories come from?

Raising Children Network credits Carol Gray, who developed social stories in 1990 while working as a teacher with young autistic children. It also says that Social Story™ and Social Stories™ are trademarks originated and owned by Carol Gray, and that Social Stories™ are developed according to 10 key criteria. It says parents and professionals can use these criteria to write their own, and that you can read Carol Gray’s The new Social Story™ book to learn more.

The method below is a general guide based on the sources listed at the end of this article. It isn’t Carol Gray’s method, so if you want to follow her criteria, go to her materials or ask a professional who uses them.

How do I write a social story, step by step?

1. Pick one situation and one goal. Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust suggests asking what you’re trying to achieve and what the most important thing to understand is. Head Start, a US government early learning program, suggests identifying what the child might not understand and how they can get through the event.
2. Gather the facts. The NHS trust’s questions include where the situation happens, who is involved, how long it lasts, what happens, and how it begins and ends. It also asks whether any words could create anxiety or distress, and whether pictures or symbols would help.
3. Write from your child’s point of view. Head Start says to write the story from the child’s point of view with simple facts about the situation, expected behaviours and clear examples of what the child can do. Raising Children Network says stories can be written in the first or third person (for example “I go to the shop” or “William can wear his headphones”) and in the past, present or future tense.
4. Match the language to your child. Raising Children Network says the story uses language to match the age and skill of the child.
5. Mix the types of sentence. The NHS trust and Indiana University describe four types: descriptive sentences (facts about where, who and what), perspective sentences (feelings and what others think), directive sentences (what the child can try) and affirmative sentences (reassurance). Those two guides and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center all favour more describing than directing, but the suggested ratios differ between them, so treat any exact number with caution and ask your therapist.
6. Add pictures if they help. Raising Children Network says a story can be a print book or an ebook and can include photos or illustrations.
7. Read it before the event. Raising Children Network says stories are typically read just before the event they describe. Head Start suggests reading it somewhere comfortable and letting your child hold the story if that helps.
8. Watch how it goes and revise. The NHS trust suggests revising the story based on the person’s responses. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center suggests assessing the story after it has been used for a full week. Raising Children Network says that once a child understands the situation they can read the story less often.

Is there a simple social story template?

Here’s a plain-text template you can copy and fill in. It follows the sentence types above. Not every story needs every part, and the NHS trust notes that directive sentences may not always be necessary.

TITLE: [The situation, in simple words]

WHAT HAPPENS (descriptive)
[Where it happens and who will be there.]
[What happens first, next and last.]
[Use “sometimes” or “usually” if things can change.]

HOW PEOPLE FEEL (perspective)
[How I might feel. How other people might feel.]
[“Some children feel ___. That is okay.”]

WHAT I CAN TRY (directive)
[“I can try to ___.”]
[“If I need help, I can ___.”]

HOW IT ENDS (reassuring)
[What happens when it is finished.]

What does a social story look like? An example

This is a made-up example for a common situation, a haircut. Change the details to match your child’s hairdresser, words and level of understanding. Items in square brackets are for you to fill in.

Getting my haircut

Sometimes my hair gets long. When my hair is long, I can get a haircut.

We go to the hairdresser in [the car]. The hairdresser’s name is [name]. There is a big chair and a big mirror.

The hairdresser puts a cape around me. Then the hairdresser cuts my hair with scissors. Sometimes the hairdresser uses a machine that buzzes. [Add anything else that happens at your hairdresser.]

Some children feel worried about the noise or the feel of hair on their neck. Other children don’t mind. All of these feelings are okay.

I can try to sit in the chair. If I need a break, I can say “break please” or show my [break card]. The hairdresser can help by telling me what is next.

When the haircut is finished, the hairdresser takes off the cape. Then we go home. [Then I can have my favourite activity.]

What tips help a social story work?

• Keep it truthful. The NHS trust says descriptive sentences should be truthful and free of opinion and assumption.
• Keep it positive and reassuring. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center says stories are usually written in the first person using positive, reassuring language.
• Use soft words where things can vary. The NHS trust suggests words like “sometimes”, “often” and “usually” to show an outcome isn’t guaranteed.
• Don’t turn it into a list of rules. Indiana University’s guide says social narratives are not meant to be a list of desired behaviours, but a story with concrete details.
• Match your child’s level. Use words and pictures your child understands, as Raising Children Network advises. If your child isn’t yet reading, it says you can read stories to them or record them and play the recording while they follow along.
• Update it. Raising Children Network says if the social situation changes, the story should be reviewed and updated.

When should I talk to my child’s therapist?

Raising Children Network says that, in the usual approach, a therapist works with the child and their parents or carers to gather information and develop social goals before writing a story. It says occupational therapists, psychologists and speech pathologists can teach you how to write social stories for your child and advise on the best way to deliver them, for example by reading aloud, making videos or having your child read them.

Consider checking in with your child’s therapist if:

• you’re not sure whether a social story suits your child’s level of understanding
• you want to link the story to your child’s existing goals
• the first story doesn’t seem to help and you aren’t sure what to change.

Questions you could ask:

• Is a social story suitable for my child’s level of understanding?
• Which situation should we start with?
• Could you look at my draft and suggest changes?
• Should we use photos, drawings or both? How should we read or record it?
• When and how often should we read it, and when should we review it?

On cost, Raising Children Network says anyone who’s trained can write social stories, so the cost can be quite low. It says Medicare might cover consultations with some therapists, depending on the professional and the number of consultations, and that you might be able to include the cost of developing social stories with a therapist in your child’s NDIS plan. It suggests contacting the NDIS to find out.

Free tools to help

• Appointment questions: build a question list for a therapy appointment.
• Funding finder: see which supports and payments may be worth checking for your family.

Official sources

• Raising Children Network: Social stories for autistic children
• Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust: How to write a social story
• Head Start (US government): Social Stories
• Indiana Resource Center for Autism, Indiana University: Writing and using social narratives
• Vanderbilt Kennedy Center: How to write a Social Story (tip sheet)

This article is general information. It isn’t medical, legal, financial or NDIS eligibility advice. Every child’s circumstances are different, and government programs and requirements can change. Check the official sources above before you apply.