Social Stories to Prep for the New School Year

Social Stories to Prep for the New School Year | New Social Story

It's back to school time which means your kids are either already back in school or about to start school very soon. For those of use with neurodivergent kids, the changes that come with the new school year can be hard. I've made some social stories that are available for download, including a new one called “Back to School” that I think will be really helpful during this time. This new social story talks about what the transition from the previous year to this year will look like and all of the new things that should be expected. It also highlights who will be helping and who to ask for help. As with all of my social stories, this one is from the perspective of the child and how they will feel, not how people around them will feel.

Social Stories to Prep for the New School Year | Riding the Bus

The new social story is a "Riding the Bus" social story, and I made it in both a girl version and a boy version so its customizable to any child. This story walks through what is going to happen on the bus, what the expectations are, and what to do if your child needs to communicate to ask for help. Like with all my social stories, you get it in a download version that you can print and use it however you like. When assembling the social story, I like to cut everything out and put it on an actual book I get on Amazon or from the Target dollar section. I also have seen people do them just as little booklets either stapled together or put in a three ring binder. Another tip is using self-laminating pages after you print the story so they last longer.

Social Stories to Prep for the New School Year | Other Helpful Social Stories

There are a few other social stories that would be perfect for back to school time. This first one is "Fire Drill", which walks through all of the things that happen during a fire drill. It details the different steps and what to expect when it happens.

The "Change" social story is another really good one for back to school. It talks about why changes happen and what your child might be feeling during big life changes. It reminds them that change is okay while also giving them coping mechanisms that they can use to deal with their emotions during a change.

Another one is the "Feelings" social story. Again, these are all written from the perspective of the child reading them and how those feelings impact them, not how they impact other people. This story talks about different feelings, why your child might be feeling those feelings, and what happens when they feel those feelings, while also reminding them of ways to process those feelings.

The last story I feel like would be really good for back to school is the "Staying Safe" social story because a new environment means new people. It goes over ways they can stay safe with new adults and peers. If you're concerned about your child being safe, or you just want to give them a refresher, this is a really good one for that as well.

I hope the will help you and your child feel a little more confident about going back to school this year.