This is Part 1 of a three-part series.
Jacob is a 6-year-old boy who gets upset when things don’t go his way. He cries and screams when his brother takes his toy, when he doesn’t get to go first and when he doesn’t get his favourite TV show. Jacob gets worked up so quickly that his parents can’t even talk to him. When Jacob gets upset, they try talking to him but it seems to make it worse. They want to help Jacob calm his big feelings. They want to teach Jacob another way than crying and screaming but they don’t know how to help him understand.
This might be a good time for a…. SUPER social story*!! 
Are you living through challenges with your child? Maybe your child is having a hard time dealing with a change, learning a new skill, or becoming more independent.
Whatever the situation, a social story* may be helpful. Social stories use positive messages and pictures to help your child understand what to expect and how to behave during specific situations. From problem behaviors such as biting to daily living skills like using the potty, to unfamiliar events, such as how to act on a plane. A social story* can be used to help people with a variety of needs, not just for those on the autism spectrum (ASD).
There are lots of free stories online, that can be printed and used today with your child. Here are some examples, take a look:
A social story* about wearing glasses 
A social story* about handwashing 
A social story* about chewing 
A social story* about teeth brushing 
Jacob’s parents want to teach their son to calm down when he gets upset so that they can have a chance to talk with him in those moments. They want to teach him to calm himself using his breath. They are excited to find this social story* online.
Free social story* on deep breathing 
This story is a great place to start but…. they decide they want to use their own pictures and their own information about Jacob. How can they write their own social story*?
If you want to learn the steps to write your own social story*, check out this blog post.
A step by step guide to writing a super social story*!
Or….. if you’ve already found a story online that meets your needs, then skip to this blog post to learn what to do next.
How do you introduce a social story*?
Remember, social stories* are a great way to help move through a challenging situation or learn a new skill. For children or adults, social stories* help to deepen their understanding by making it more clear, simple and putting pictures to words.
And so, what behaviour do you want to change?
What skill do you want to teach?