An audio version of this post is available.

Our own Jayne Dixon Weber pulled together a social story to use to help you and your self-advocate prepare for the NFXF Advocacy Day on February 24, 2021.

What are Social Stories?

First used for children with autism, social stories are mainly used to explain a social situation to a child, teen, or adult experiencing social challenges. They usually have trouble with the concept of social cues, so an example may be a story about visiting a neighbor and might cover things like ringing the doorbell (once, not repeatedly until someone answers) or when to enter the home (only after being invited).

Social stories are usually written specifically for one person and personalized based on their challenges. They’re not intended to change behavior, instead the goal is to clarify social situations or explain something new while hopefully also encouraging self-management through self-awareness and self-calming. They’re used most often to help children deal with change, new routines, transitions, unique situations (like COVID-19), and understanding other people’s point of view.

Pictures are optional, but having the child help with the pictures can be a super fun activity, and help make the situation you’re trying to address more fun for everyone. You can view our COVID-19 social story here.

The NFXF Advocacy Day Social Story

The Advocacy Day Social Story covers:

  • Summary of Activities
  • Siblings and Self-Advocates Training
  • New Attendee Training
  • The NFXF Advocacy MasterClass
  • Live virtual training on February 19
  • The speakers: Linda Sorensen, Gregg Harper, Dan Whiting, and Christopher Kush
  • Breakout sessions during the training
  • Testing the virtual meeting app
  • Preparing for your meetings
  • Questions

We have provided the social story in both PowerPoint and PDF formats. Feel free to edit the PowerPoint to suit your individual needs. You can download either format below.

NFXF Advocacy Day Social Story Thumbnail PPTX
NFXF Advocacy Day Social Story Thumbnail PDF
author
Author Dan Whiting

Dan Whiting
Dan is the NFXF director of community impact and has been a member of the NFXF team since 2017. He is passionate about helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities live better lives. He has over 23 years of experience in public policy and communications, including 11 years as a staff member for a U.S. Senator, in the Bush Administration as Chief of Staff at an agency, and as a senior strategist for communication initiatives across the DOD. He loves spending time with his family and friends and dreams of either being an artisan woodworker or comedy writer – or both at the same time.