This week’s Therapy Activity of the Week comes to us courtesy of Ginty Swift and her new blog Life with a Teenage Autistic Daughter.
Please support our contributors and visit the blog and the website at http://lifewithanautisticteenagedaughter.blogspot.com/
THE ACTIVITY:
Make Your Own “Back to School Social Story”
THE GOALS:
To make the activity familiar so the child knows what to expect. This is done as a personalized story book for your child.
WHAT YOU NEED:
Four or five photos about the activity. For example, if it is preparing your child for a new school, you need photos of the school, your child’s classroom, your child’s new teacher, your child dressed in their school uniform with their bag and so on. Each photo will go on one page of the social story. A binder to bind the pages into a book or you can put each page into a clear display folder to make the book that way.
HOW TO DO IT:
Make a front cover in your child’s favorite color with a photo of them on it and the title of the story, e.g. (CHILD’S NAME) GOES TO SCHOOL. Then each page following will have a photo and one or two sentences to explain that photo, e.g. Page 1(child’s name) is going to school today. Photo of child dressed ready for school (maybe plain clothes or in school uniform) with their schoolbag.
Page 2: Photo of how child will get to school (child’s name) goes on the bus or with Mum and Dad in car (whatever is applicable) to the school.
Page 3: Photo of school. (child’s name) arrives at school. There are many other children at school.
Page 4: Photo of classroom with teacher. Here is (child’s name) teacher. His/her name is (XXXXX). If there is a teacher aide who will be caring for your child, put their photo in and their name too.
Page 5: Photo of parent waving goodbye to your child. Bye now! Mum will come back in at 3.00 o’clock. (show the clockface if your child understands the concept of time) or Mum will come back after lunch or in a little while, whatever is applicable. Then: Have a great day!!!
A second social story could also be done about the actual routine at the school. There could be a social story about meal-times at the school. There could be one about each subject that is taught and what happens. The possibilities are endless. The most important thing is to keep each story simple so your child can understand what is going to happen and thereby lessen their anxiety levels (and your own!)