HOW TO WRITE A SOCIAL STORY
What is a social story?
…it is a process that takes into consideration of and respect for the perspective of the person
with ASD. As a product, it is defined by specific characteristics that define a situation, concept,
or social skill in a way that is easily understood by people with ASD. A social story addresses
the needs and improves the social understanding of both the person with ASD and the individual
working/living with that individual.
Who writes Social Stories?
They can be written by just about anybody working with a person diagnosed with ASD.
What are some of the Social Story topics?
There are an infinite number of topics that can be addressed through a Social Story. They are
often written in response to a troubling situation. Social Stories can be used, in the educational
setting, to describe skills that are part of the academic and social curriculum, personalize social
skills covered in a training program, or translate a goal into understandable steps. Describing
classroom routines and rules along with variations are great topics for Social Stories. Special
events such as field day, fire drills, assemblies, etc. can also be the topic.
Another purpose, that is often overlooked, is to use Social Stories as a means to acknowledge
achievement. Ideally, a child’s first Social Story should describe a skill or situation that is
typically successful and problem-free. Written praise may be far more rewarding and reinforcing
for the child with ASD than its verbal counterpart.
How do you write a Social Story?
There are four basic sentence types: descriptive, perspective, affirmative and directive. Each
type is used like a prescription called the Social Story Ratio. The first step to writing Social
Stories is to understand the sentence types and their main role and relationship.
Descriptive sentences are truthful, opinion and assumption-free statements of fact. They are
used to 1) identify the most important factors in a situation or 2) identify important aspects of the
topic. They form the backbone of the Social Story and often contain answers to “wh” questions.
Descriptive sentences bring logic and accuracy to the story.
Examples:



My name is
. (often the first sentence of a Social Story)
Sometimes, my mother brings me to school.
Many children go to the cafeteria to eat lunch.
1
Perspective sentences are statements that refer to or describe a person’s internal state, thoughts,
feelings, beliefs, motives or physical/emotional health. On rare occasions, they are used to
describe the internal status of the student. Most frequently, they are used to refer to the internal
state of other people. Perspective sentences give a Social Story “heart” by describing emotional
and cognitive aspects that are part of every social situation.
Examples:






My substitute teacher knows about reading. (knowledge/thoughts)
My brother usually likes to play baseball. (feelings)
Some children believe in Santa Claus. (belief)
Many children like eating the school lunch. (opinion)
Some of my classmates read a book a week so they will get a sticker in Friday.
(motivation)
Some people feel tired after they run in P.E. class. (physical condition/health)
Directive sentences identify a suggested response or choices to a situation or concept. This
gently directs the student’s behavior. These sentences need to be carefully developed, paying
special attention to the possibility of literal interpretation by the student. Instead of beginning
sentences with I will or I can, statements like I will try to…, I will work on…, or One
thing I may try to say is… . Directive sentences can also be stated as a series of response
options.
Examples:

I will try to eat lunch in the cafeteria.

I may ask my teacher for help on my math worksheet

In gym class, I may decide to play basketball, walk around the gym, or jump on the
trampoline.
Affirmative sentences enhance the meaning of other statements. They often express a common
value or opinion within a culture. It stresses an important point, refers to a law or rule, or
reassures the student. Affirmative sentences immediately follow a descriptive, perspective or
directive statement.
Examples (affirmative sentence is in bold print):




Most people brush their teeth after breakfast. This is a good idea. (stressing a point)
I will try to sit still and be quiet on the bus. This is very important. (reference to a rule)
I will try to keep my seat belt fastened. This is a safe thing to do. (reference to law)
My teacher may have to miss school and I will have a substitute teacher. (reassure)
Partial Sentences encourage a student to make guesses regarding what might be the next step in a
given situation or the response of another person or themselves. In a Social Story any of the four
basic types of sentences can be written as a partial one. This is very similar to fill-in-the-blank.
This process makes the student retrieve information and even apply generalization of similar
concepts they have been taught.
2
Examples:


My mother will probably feel
My friend, Briauna, will probably
if I pick up my toys.
if I share my lunch with her.
The Basic Social Story Ratio defines the relationship between the different types of sentences.
A Social Story typically has a ratio of two to five descriptive, perspective and/or affirmative
sentences for every directive sentence.
Formula:
0-1 (partial or complete) directive sentences
+ 2-5 (partial or complete) descriptive, perspective, and/or affirmative sentences
Basic Social Story Ratio
Other Types of Sentences:
Control sentences are statements that are written by the student to identify personal strategies
used to recall and apply information. Have the student review the Social Story, adding one or
more control sentences. (i.e. I will try to use my Thomas the Train Power Card to remember how
to control when I get angry.)
Cooperative sentences identify what others will do to assist the student. A cooperative sentence
can be written as a partial sentence to help the student identify who may assist him/her learn a
new skill and how they can help.
The Complete Social Story Ratio includes the basic Social Story sentences plus the control and
cooperative statements. Again, the text is all ways focusing on describing an event, concept or
skill.
Formula:
0-1 (partial or complete) directive or control sentences
+ 2-5 (partial or complete) descriptive, perspective, affirmative, or cooperative sentences
Complete Social Story Ratio
Guidelines for Writing a Social Story
Step 1: Picture the goal. The overall goal of a Social Story is to give the student with ASD
accurate information, describing more than directing. When you envision the goal, this makes
you put information into meaningful concrete text and illustrations. The end result may be
changing the response of the student; however, the ultimate goal is always to share information
in a meaningful manner.
Step 2: Gather information. Once you have envisioned the goal, you must gather information
about the subject. Always remember the “wh” questions along with the “how” of the topic;
where and when does the situation occur, who is involved, how does the sequence of events
3
evolve, what occurs and why does it occur. Do not forget to also look at the learning style,
reading ability, attention span and interest of the student.
Step 3: Taylor the text. The following are the basic characteristics of the Social Story
a) A Social Story has an introduction, body, and conclusion.
b) It also answers “wh” questions along with “how”.
c) A Social Story is written in first person. It is developed as if the student is the one
describing the event or concept.
d) Positive language is all ways used to describe responses and behaviors. If mention is
made to a negative behavior it is all ways from a third person point of view (i.e.
sometimes people say things to hurt another person’s feelings. This is a mistake.)
e) A Social Story contains up to four basic types of sentences. Possibly up to six sentence
types if using control and/or cooperative sentences.
f) Pivotal to the development of a Social Story is making sure it is literally accurate. Words
like usually and sometimes are used to ensure this accuracy.
g) Alternative vocabulary can be used to maintain a relaxed, positive quality. For example,
replacing the word new with better sends the student a more positive message along with
reducing anxiety about change.
h) A Social Story uses concrete, understandable words enhanced by visual supports when
needed.
i) Illustrations can be used to clarify and enhance the meaning of text.
j) Using a style and format that is motivating to the student will help with maintaining
attention to the story
Step 4: Teach with the title. The title of a Social Story gives an overall gist to its message. A
question can be used as a title. Whether using a statement or question, the title identifies and
reinforces the most important information.
How do you implement a Social Story?
Introduce the Social Story. Introduction of the Social Story should always be done in a patient,
reassuring manner in a relaxed setting. Keep phrases simple, honest, and straightforward.
Reviewing a Social Story. Review with a positive & laidback attitude. Keep attention focused
on the social story and away from the face or gestures of the reader/author. Select people who
are important to the child (peer mentors, parents, teachers, etc.) to review the story with the
child.
Fading a Social Story. Fading the Social Story can increase the independence of the child,
however, it may not always be advisable or possible. One way to fade the story is to rewrite it,
eliminating sentences or making them partial. Another strategy is to expand the review schedule
of the story gradually increasing the amount of time it is read.
4
SOCIAL STORY CHECKLIST
KEY QUESTIONS
YES
Is there an introduction, body & conclusion?
Does the story have the important “wh” questions?
If written for a young child, is it written in the 1st
person?
Does the story have a positive tone?
Does the story go by the Social Story Ratio?
Is the story literally accurate? Can it be interpreted
without altered meaning?
Are alternative words used in place of ones that might
upset the child?
Is the story written considering reading ability and
attention span? Do visual supports need to be utilized?
If pictures are used, are they developed and presented
taking into consideration the ability of the child?
Is an effort made to incorporate the student’s interest
into the content?
Overall, does the story have a patient and reassuring
quality?
5
NO
SAMPLE:
Lining Up
At school, we sometimes line up.
We line up to go to the gym, library, and recess.
Sometimes my friends and I get excited when we line up,
because we’re going someplace fun, like out to recess.
It is okay to get excited, but it is important to try to walk
in the line. Running can cause accidents, and my friends
or I could get hurt.
I will try to walk to the line.
6