Halloween is nearly upon us! Parties, events and trick-or-treating all lay ahead in the coming weeks.
As parents we often look forward to and anticipate the long standing tradition of trick-or-treating with our children. Our team often supports parents anticipating or predicting certain challenges they expect their child might experience. Social stories are one of the many ways that we support our clients.
So, you may be asking: What exactly is a social story?
Social stories are a guide for all ages of learners, that can help explain and provide the steps to an experience that may be full of unexpected events and challenge. A social story can also explain the hidden social rules of an event or provide steps that help a person participate in the way that feels right to them. It is very similar to doing research before starting a new hobby, or reading a travel guide before traveling to a new country.
The below social story is what we consider a “base” social story. Every child is wonderfully unique and benefits from different stories, pages and events within their social story. We encourage you to customize social stories to best fit your child's personality.
Some common individualizations that we make might include:
For a child that benefits from breaks and cool down time, we might have a page describing what a child could say to their parents when they would like a break from trick or treating
For a child that is afraid of a certain frequently found object on Halloween (e.g. candles, witch costumes, etc.), we might include a page describing how they could ask an adult to hold their hand, help them to look away, or choose a walking path that is far away from the item.
For a child with allergies, we might have a page about swapping out not safe treats for safe treats.
For a child who using a communication device, we might have a page about how to use their device so they can participate in the trick or treating routine.
Feel free to share and use as you wish, and customize away! The BEST part about social stories is the ability to make them work for each individual!
We will be sure to share our “Going to the Dentist” social story after Halloween 😉.
Happy fall to all!
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