{"id":23273,"date":"2025-05-29T15:04:46","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T20:04:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autism.org\/?p=23273"},"modified":"2025-06-08T18:32:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T23:32:25","slug":"social-stories-ai-and-autism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/autism.org\/social-stories-ai-and-autism\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Stories, AI, and Autism"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When you’re able to make a tool to improve accessibility for one person or group, so many others benefit as well. All of this work is meant to be collaborative […] and that has been such a beautiful thing in this community.<\/p>\n

— Dr. Mojdeh Mostafavi (Webinar: Healthcare Equity and Access Concerns in Autism<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>

\"Physician<\/span><\/div>

What are social stories?<\/h2>\n

Carol Gray<\/a> developed social stories as they are known today with the aim of addressing “shared social challenges and [fostering] mutual understanding.\u201d Social stories are personalized narratives used to help navigate social situations and learn new skills. They describe a personally relevant topic (e.g., context, skill, achievement, or concept) in a meaningful and safe way for the audience. Social stories simplify goals, tasks, events, and behaviors into easily learned and generalized steps. By combining supportive visual and written cues, they<\/span> facilitate understanding around lived experiences and, as such, serve as a versatile tool for promoting healthcare equity and access. <\/span><\/p>\n

It’s important to note that social stories benefit the entire care network. For the audience, they offer predictability and clarity in navigating complex situations and for providers they offer a tool to build understanding and reduce anxiety. Social stories champion collaboration and compassion, allowing a deeper sense of community understanding and more effective supports.\u00a0<\/span>Families and practitioners often use social stories to help:<\/span><\/p>\n