Social Stories were created by Carol Gray. 

The goal of a social story is to share accurate information clearly and safely.  It focuses on the underlying causes of frustration or misinformation that children feel due to them understanding the world in a different way to us.

It should identify the cause of the misunderstanding and give information to the child in a much simpler and more visual way. The goal of a social story is NOT to change the child’s behaviour. It is to help the child understand the situation better and this often then leads to an improvement in behaviour.

The stories you will find on this page have been written to explain Co-vid 19 and how the virus has caused all our lives to change quite dramatically.

Depending on your child’s level of understanding you might be able to use them as they are, or you may need to adapt them slightly to use words that are simpler or familiar to your child. This is fine. 

You can also personalise them by adding additional text or characters that your child likes - we would NOT advise that you make the story significantly longer though as this may get confusing.

For more information, and how to present the story to your child, we would encourage you to watch The Social Stories film on our website or clicking the link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xBIOAw5N5o&feature=youtu.be&safe=active

and the Youtube clip by Carol Gray herself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjlIYYbVIrI

If you need help to rewrite/adapt a story or indeed tackle a topic not listed here please contact:

Shona MacPherson or Rachael Geddes at  the.pines@highland.gov.uk

New documents added - Social Story - School is Opening & Going Back to School

Updated 16.06.2020

First – Then Board  

This is a small timeline which only displays 2 symbols or photos at a time. 

First – Then boards can be used to: 

• Begin using visuals to help a child/young person predict what will happen next. 

How do I use a First-Then board? 

Decide  what  task  you  want  the  child  to  complete  first (what goes in the “first” box) and  the preferred item or activity (what goes in the “then” box). 

Visual Timelines 

A visual  timeline is a way to visually  display the structure of time.  For children  who  find it  challenging to understand  verbal  language, a visual timeline can provide some predictability and  help to reduce anxiety about what is happening

How do I use a Visual Timeline? 

• Visual timelines run from top to bottom.  

Sequence Strips 

Sequence strips are used to break one activity down in to smaller steps, e.g. hand washing. 

Sequence strips run from left to right.  This distinguishes them from a vertical timeline which shows different activities which have a transition between them. 

Refer to each step of a sequence by pointing to the strip and using verbal language to support. 

Sequence strips can help children and young people to build their independence skills as they can use the visual prompts to complete a task with less adult support needed.

Symbols and Photos 

A symbol is any kind of visual representation which carries meaning. We all use symbols every day, such as: 

If you cannot access a printer to make your symbols or photos, please contact the SLT department and we will do our best to help you. 

Alternatively, you may wish to explore some of the Apps which allow you to make first/then boards,  visual timelines and sequence strips on a smartphone or tablet, which can then be  shown to the child/young person. 

Materials 

Usually we use Velcro to attach symbols to boards. You  need one  type of Velcro for the back of the symbols, and another for the boards. If you can’t get hold of Velcro, it’s time to get creative. Alternatives are Blu-Tack, pegs, double sided sticky tape, magnets….. whatever you can find that works. There are usually lots of ideas on Pinterest. 

Updated 07.05.20