Social stories.
Write a little book that explains to a child what is going to happen. 52 templates, pictograms, drawings or your own photos, questions to help you start, live preview, on-screen reading and five print formats.
Before you start
A little book that explains what is going to happen
A social story tells a child about a situation in their own words: what is going to happen, what they can do and what helps them feel calm. It is written in the first person, as if the child were telling it, and read before the situation, calmly. That way, the unknown is less frightening.
Each page has three sentences, and each one has a job
- What happensdescriptive sentenceSays what happens, without judging: where, who, what you can hear.
- What I can docoaching sentenceOne option, said positively and in the first person. Never an order.
- What helps me feel calmaffirmative or perspective sentenceExplains why, or reassures: what usually happens, what is OK.
What happens: In the fire drill, a very loud alarm goes off.
What I can do: I can cover my ears or put on my ear defenders.
What helps me feel calm: The alarm rings for a while and then it stops.
Two for one
Carol Gray asks for at least two sentences that describe or reassure for every coaching sentence. A social story explains; it is not a list of instructions.
How to write it: before and after
Before: “It won’t hurt.”
After: “It might hurt a little. It is over very quickly.”
It is a promise. If it does hurt, trust in the story is lost.
Before: “I have to wait without moving.”
After: “While I wait, I can count slowly.”
It is an order. The story offers choices; it does not demand.
Before: “I never shout in class.”
After: “Sometimes I want to shout. I can breathe slowly.”
“Never” is not true. “Sometimes” describes what happens and leaves room.
The tool checks your story and flags promises, orders and absolute words, telling you why. It does not use artificial intelligence: it looks for words from a list.
When to use it, and when not to
Yes
- Before something new: a school year, a house, an appointment.
- For something that has been hard before: noise, losing, waiting.
- To explain a change of plan or a party.
- To remember what went well.
No
- In the middle of a meltdown: first calm and safety. The story comes later.
- As a punishment or a list of rules.
- To promise what is not up to you.
- By force. If today is not a good day, try another.
- Instead of professional support when it is needed.
How to read it with the child
- Choose a calm moment, a few days before if possible.
- Sit side by side, not facing each other. Let the child turn the pages.
- Read it slowly, in a calm voice. “Listen” reads it aloud if that helps.
- Repeat it: several times, and on the day itself.
- Afterwards, read it again and talk about how it went. Keep it for next time.
- If it is for school, use the same one there: print it or save it as a PDF.
How this tool works
- Choose. Open a template (or read it as it is with “Read now”), a saved story or a blank book. If you are not sure where to start, “With questions” makes you a draft.
- Make it theirs. Change the sentences, add their name and choose the picture for each page: a pictogram, an inklui drawing, your own drawing or a photo of the real place. On the right you see the page as it will look.
- Check. The check and the balance tell you what to change and why.
- Read or print. Read it full screen (also read aloud automatically, with the browser’s voice), print it as an A4 book, an A5 booklet, cards, a sequence strip or a sheet for the adult, or download it as a file to share. When you finish reading, you can note how it went.
With “Reading options” you choose the text size, capitals, paper colour, picture size and more. Photos and stories stay in this browser: nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
- What age is it for?
- They are widely used in early years and primary, and also with teenagers and adults, adjusting the language. In the meta-analysis by Guo et al. (2026) the effect was slightly larger between ages 7 and 12, although the differences between ages were not significant.
- Is a diagnosis needed?
- No. They were created for pupils on the autism spectrum, but they can help any child who feels uneasy about a situation.
- How many pages should it have?
- There is no fixed number: it depends on the person. Short and concrete is best, with one idea per page.
- Which language should I write it in?
- In the one they understand best. You can change every sentence. The Basque templates are translated by us and checked by a Basque-speaking teacher before they are published.
- Can I share it with school or home?
- Yes. In “Read or print”, “Download the file” saves the story with its photos; whoever receives it opens it here with “Open a file” and can change it. You can also print it or save it as a PDF. The file includes the name and photos: only share it with people who should see them.
- Can I use my own voice?
- Yes. On each page, “Record my voice” saves up to a minute. When reading, your recording plays instead of the browser’s voice. Hearing a familiar voice is often more calming. Recordings stay in this browser.
- Where are my stories saved?
- Only in this browser. If you clear its data or change device, they will be gone: download the file or save them as a PDF if you want to keep them.
- Where do the pictograms come from?
- From ARASAAC (Government of Aragon), by Sergio Palao, under a CC BY-NC-SA licence: they can be used non-commercially with credit. The back cover of the book already gives it.
- What if it does not work?
- Try reading it at another time, with more familiar words or photos of the real place. If the situation is still very hard, talk to the school’s guidance team.
What the research says
Social Stories were created by Carol Gray in 1991 and are a widespread practice with pupils on the autism spectrum, with mixed results depending on the review (Kokina & Kern, 2010, found low to questionable effects). A recent meta-analysis (Guo et al., 2026; 21 single-case studies, 61 participants) found a moderate, significant effect on social skills, safety skills and behaviour, but not on classroom adaptive skills. They work on paper and in digital form, whether families or professionals deliver them: there are no significant differences.
Gray, C. (2010). The New Social Story Book. Future Horizons. · Guo, T., Wu, Y., Xia, M. et al. (2026). Frontiers in Psychology. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1855311
Choose a book to start
Has someone sent you an inklui story as a file?
Templates You can change all of them
52 templates
At school13
Feelings8
Health and care8
Looking after myself4
Home and family5
Going out14
This tool is for guidance and educational purposes. It does not replace assessment by a qualified professional.
Pictograms: Sergio Palao. Source: ARASAAC (arasaac.org). Licence: CC BY-NC-SA. Owner: Government of Aragon. · inklui.com
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