Social Stories are short descriptions of a particular situation, event or activity, which include specific information about what to expect in that situation and why. They are used widely across Athelney Primary School to support pupils in their understanding of social situations.

Social stories can be used to: 

• develop self-care skills (eg how to clean teeth, wash hands or get dressed), social skills (eg sharing, asking for help, saying thank you, interrupting) and academic abilities 

• help someone to understand how others might behave or respond in a particular situation

• help others understand the perspective of an autistic person and why they may respond or behave in a particular way

• help a person to cope with changes to routine and unexpected or distressing events (eg absence of teacher, moving house, thunderstorms)

• provide positive feedback to a person about an area of strength or achievement in order to develop self-esteem

• as a behavioural strategy (eg what to do when angry, how to cope with obsessions). 

You can download a wide selection of social stories created by Athelney's Resource Base Team here: