Let's face it—for many children, school is as much joy to play, as it is an overwhelming experience. Even though you see kids eagerly going to school, it does not mean that they are not facing pressure or having mild anxieties. From performance expectations to peer interactions, school anxieties are real, even more so for neurodivergent kids, who on a daily basis can go into sensory and emotional overload for various reasons.
Social stories are a tool way too familiar to parents, teachers, and behavioral therapists. Many times, they are the first step to help support social-emotional well-being and growth in children. But what are those stories exactly, and how do they help?
The Origins of Social Stories
Social stories were first developed by Carol Gray in the early 90s to help kids with everyday social situations. The focus was on making things very explicit and helping reduce anxiety over new and unfamiliar situations. Social stories have proven to be effective and it is why they have gained wide adoption across classrooms and home settings. For many parents, teachers, and behavioral therapists, they are a core, go-to tool to support certain scenarios.
Social stories continue to be popular today, but we now know that they tend to work best when they follow Gray’s formula and use specific sentence types to create a balanced, respectful tone. Research over the years has shown that social stories are most effective when personalized to a specific individual. While visuals were not part of the original method, they are now essential as they help create the right connection. This is why you would see teachers or parents search for images to cut and paste to create personalized social stories. It only makes sense—after all, no two children are the same, so why should the stories be? Moreover, as children grow, you have to evolve the visuals too.
Social Stories Made with AI
Living in the digital age has its blessings. We now have tools to provide rapid, on-demand, and highly customizable support. The recent advancements have allowed us to create Emona.ai, where you can simply type or dictate instructions to create a social story that follows Gray’s method while including all the intricate details that make it relatable—such as name, appearance, favorite objects, and specific scenarios. In under a minute, Emona will generate a story that is supportive, not correctional, and provides quick social and emotional guidance.
How do we know Emona helps? Because we see the numerous social stories created for back-to-school scenarios, thanks to those who have shared their stories in Emona’s public library. We can see the different situations and appearances, and it is rewarding to know we helped parents, teachers, and therapists support the unique needs of each child.
While your child may or may not have adjusted to back-to-school routines, know that you now have a tool at your fingertips that you can use to instantly create a social story to support any and all emotions.