Going to the Doctor Social Story

Read it a few days before a checkup and again in the car. Play doctor at home with a toy stethoscope. Bring a book to the waiting room, just like the story.

A 6-page social story plus a cover about a doctor checkup: waiting in the waiting room with a book, a nurse checking how tall I am and how much I weigh, the doctor listening to my heart with a stethoscope that feels a little cold, and looking in my ears with a small light. It ends with I helped my body stay healthy.

Yes. We made it for Preschool to 2nd Grade social stories, and it works the same at home or at school. Families print it for one child and keep it where they will use it every day. Teachers print a copy per student or one for the whole room, whichever the day needs.

A social story is a short, personal story that describes a situation, a routine or a feeling and what the child can do, in calm first-person sentences with a picture on each page. It helps children know what to expect and how to respond.

Twenty-five stories in five groups: school routines (going to school, lining up, circle time, the school bus, fire drills), self-care (washing hands, using the toilet, brushing teeth, getting dressed, bath time), waiting and taking turns, big feelings (angry, sad, worried, plans changing, too loud), and community outings (doctor, haircut, grocery store, dentist, restaurant).

Each story has a cover and six picture pages. Every page has one big picture with a caption and one or two short sentences, written in the present tense with simple words.

Read it together a few times before the situation it describes, and again on the day. Keep the tone calm, point to the pictures, and use the same words from the story in the moment. Many families staple the pages into a small book.

They are written for Pre-K to 2nd grade and work well for children with autism, speech and language needs or anxiety, as well as any child facing something new.