Creating Digital Social Stories to Use with Young Children at Home, in the Classroom, and out in the Community

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By: Jessica Heald, special educator and doctoral candidate in Education: Curriculum and Instruction at UNH.

Below are six images and simple sentences helping a toddler pet her dog gently. This digital social story can be printed as a small paper book or viewed on a tablet (phone or computer). It was created using Google Slides. See below the story for other apps, web tools, and resources for creating digital social stories.

  Title slide: Gentle Hands with Brady
 Image of baby petting dog with sentence: Charlotte like to pet Brady

Image of baby brushing dog with sentence: It is fun to brush Brady.

Image of baby grabbing dog's nose with sentence: Sometimes Charlotte hits Brady.

Image of sad dog: Ouch! Brady is sad.

Image of baby petting dog: Charlotte will use gentle hands.



Apps and web tools to create digital social stories like the one above.
App Name
Creator
Details
Social Stories Creator & Library for Preschool
Touch Autism
Trial free version, can only create 2 social stories
Social Stories Creator for Educators
Touch Autism
Can use photos, audio & text, play stories offline and send as PDFs, blank book template, can make visual schedules, Pro Upgrade includes creating unlimited stories, sharing and printing capabilities for $9.99, access to features of Pro Upgrade and All Touch Autism social stories is $24.99
StoryMaker for Social Stories
Handhold Adaptive, LLC
Can use photos, audio & text, text fits screen of any device you use, access stock library of images, can e-mail story as a PDF, create unlimited number of stories, access content from Carol Grey, who created social stories method, $39.99
Kid in Story Book Maker Free: Create & Share Personalized Photo Story
Enuma, Inc.
20 story templates and a blank story feature, can use photos & audio and edit story templates, can share via e-mail, PDF, or Dropbox, $6.99 for all access upgrade
i Create … Social Skills Stories
I Get It, LLC
Can use photos, audio & text, can create unlimited number of stories, has a multiple users feature, blank book template, can e-mail or print as PDF, $4.99
Stories About Me
Limited Cue LLC
Can use photos, text and audio, can integrate with Dropbox, parental lock feature, blank book template, $3.99 (+$4.99 to unlock access to unlimited stories & sharing)
Google Slides
about Google Slides
Can create presentations, similar to PowerPoint, can use photos & text, can share & export via e-mail or print,
Free

Resources to learn more about digital social stories:
Center for the Social and the Emotional Foundations for Learning (CSEFL). (n.d.). Resources: Practical strategies for teachers/caregivers. Retrieved from http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/strategies.html. 

More, C. (2008). Digital stories targeting social skills for children with disabilities: Multidimensional learning. Intervention in School and Clinic, 43(3), 168-177. Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1053451207312919. 

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