The Social Stories™ Podcast

How does writing Social Stories change us? It's through what we discover while researching the Story. 

In this second part of a two-part conversation, we dig into the discovery process. Carol introduces the idea of discovered solutions. Hear about what Siobhan learned about sensory experiences while supporting a little girl who mysteriously stopped sitting on her favorite spot on the floor. Listen to Catherine's discover about the calculation of grades through working with a young man who "failed" a class he actually understood perfectly. 

Maybe there's something we can glean from this process that expands what we understand about the widely varied and wonderful ways that humans experience this planet that can make us more empathetic and more connected. 

Send us a text message!

Join us for the Social Stories Symposium October 15 & 16, 2026!

And connect with Team Social Stories:

• Carol: https://carolgraysocialstories.com
• Siobhan: https://siobhantimmins.uk
• Aaron: https://www.aaronlanou.com

Is it possible that the act of writing Social Stories can actually change the authors themselves? 

In this episode, Carol invites us to share how we have changed since becoming Social Stories Authors—moments where abandoning assumption and gathering information completely reshaped how we see the person we support. 

Joined by longtime friend and Team Social Stories member, Catherine Faherty, we tell stories of how much WE have learned from students who "won't ask for help," kids who "refused to answer questions," and really important insights into the realities of eye contact. 

Some context to share:
The team roots every example in the first two Social Story criteria: Social Humility (abandoning assumptions and remaining curious) and gathering information (the research and discovery that follows). 

Referenced in this episode:

• Peter Vermeulen's Autism as Context Blindness  is the book Carol credits with prompting a major revision of the Social Story criteria, including the emphasis on social context. 

This is part one of a two-part conversation. The next episode explores the process of discovery that leads to the changes we discuss. 

Send us a text message!

Join us for the Social Stories Symposium October 15 & 16, 2026!

And connect with Team Social Stories:

• Carol: https://carolgraysocialstories.com
• Siobhan: https://siobhantimmins.uk
• Aaron: https://www.aaronlanou.com

"This is okay" may be the most famous sentence in Social Story history. But like a beloved old pair of shoes that doesn't fit anymore, it is time to leave it behind.

In this episode, Team Social Stories digs into why "This is okay" is no longer used in Social Stories. Joined by longtime friend and Team Social Stories member, Catherine Faherty, we tackle what we are often trying to communicate when we write "This is okay" in a Social Story... and how it misses the mark. And we brainstorm alternatives to arrive at something more accurate and effective that could be used in its place. 

Some context: The Team references frequently to Social Humility, the foundational philosophy of Social Stories. Social Humility is a decided stance—an adopted mindset that prepares Authors for writing safe, meaningful, and effective Stories. Among its tenets that are relevant for this discussion: abandon all assumptions and never argue perception. 

Send us a text message!

Join us for the Social Stories Symposium October 15 & 16, 2026!

And connect with Team Social Stories:

• Carol: https://carolgraysocialstories.com
• Siobhan: https://siobhantimmins.uk
• Aaron: https://www.aaronlanou.com

AI is everywhere. Can it write a Social Story...? 

The short answer is no. But in this episode, Team Social Stories explores the potential for artificial intelligence to help with the writing of Social Stories—as well as the very real cautions. 

Listen in for the ways in which AI may be able to guide the writing process, which always happens after we've done the very human work of preparing to write a Story. We always begin with adopting a stance of Social Humility—keeping all our assumptions in check—and then doing deep discovery work to ensure we've investigated what is happening from the Audience's perspective. Then AI may be able to help draft the Story itself. 

Hear about a sneak peak Social Stories AI App that we'll be revealing at the 2026 Symposium this October!

Send us a text message!

Join us for the Social Stories Symposium October 15 & 16, 2026!

And connect with Team Social Stories:

• Carol: https://carolgraysocialstories.com
• Siobhan: https://siobhantimmins.uk
• Aaron: https://www.aaronlanou.com

In part two of our conversation about how we know if a Social Story "worked," we look at what "success" means when sharing a Social Story. 

We talk about how important it is to offer information and predictability and clarity—and to offer it repeatedly, over time. And you'll learn what Social Stories have in common with your best friend.

Send us a text message!

Join us for the Social Stories Symposium October 15 & 16, 2026!

And connect with Team Social Stories:

• Carol: https://carolgraysocialstories.com
• Siobhan: https://siobhantimmins.uk
• Aaron: https://www.aaronlanou.com

Social Stories are not a behavior change strategy. So how do we know if a Social Story "worked"?

In this episode, Team Social Stories discusses the tricky question of Social Story effectiveness. The goal of a Social  is never to get a child  to do something that an adult wants them to do—so what do we look for to determine if a Story was impactful? 

Listen in for insights into noticing subtle shifts in a young person's anxiety or sleep, how Stories can benefit teachers even more than a student, and why we need to challenge neurotypical assumptions and expectations if we're going to create neuro-affirming classrooms and homes. 

For context: Siobhan mentioned "Gray's Water Balloon Survey." This survey is part of the Social Stories training, and it asks participants to evaluate how likely they would be to toss a water balloon from a perch in a tree onto various passersby below. We explore the social considerations that participants make when deciding whether to toss the water ballon. No two participants have the same responses, reminding us that there is no one universal and correct way to be a social being in this world! 

In the next episode, part two of this conversation will explore what counts as "success" when sharing a Social Story. 

Send us a text message!

Join us for the Social Stories Symposium October 15 & 16, 2026!

And connect with Team Social Stories:

• Carol: https://carolgraysocialstories.com
• Siobhan: https://siobhantimmins.uk
• Aaron: https://www.aaronlanou.com

The process of writing a Social Story can reveal unexpected insights as we gather information about the perspective of the person we're writing a Social Story for. 

In this first episode of The Social Stories Podcast, Carol, Siobhan, and Aaron share "Aha!" Moments with Social Stories. We discuss times when this process of discovery broadened our understanding of the experience of a person in our care. 

From learning a new meaning of true friendship to surfacing the important job of underpants, discover how to abandon assumptions and be enlightened by new perspectives that come with being a Social Story Author!

Some context to share: The Team references Social Humility, the foundational philosophy of Social Stories. Social Humility is a decided stance—an adopted mindset that prepares Authors for writing safe, meaningful, and effective Stories. Among its tenets are recognizing that there are equally valid but sometimes different perspectives, and to embrace curiosity as confusion with a good attitude. We'll be discussing Social Humility more in future episodes.

Referenced in the episode: 

• Uniquely Human Podcast: Autism & Building Trust, Barry Prizant & Dave Finch
• The 8th Habit by Stephen R. Covey 

Send us a text message!

Join us for the Social Stories Symposium October 15 & 16, 2026!

And connect with Team Social Stories:

• Carol: https://carolgraysocialstories.com
• Siobhan: https://siobhantimmins.uk
• Aaron: https://www.aaronlanou.com