This social story is designed to support children who struggle with separation anxiety and feel upset when saying goodbye to their parents or caregivers in the morning. It helps ease the transition from home to school by offering comforting explanations and practical strategies to manage their feelings.

This social story is an ideal tool to make goodbyes easier and to help children develop a sense of security and independence.

What is included?

As well as four different versions of a 19 page social story, one for saying goodbye when mom drops you off to school, another with the spelling as mum, one with dad and one with ‘grown up’, there is also a shortened adapted book version of the story with movable pictures to attach to each page.

Why do you need this?

The point of a social story is to use a patient and reassuring tone to teach children about social situations in a way that can be easily understood. Social stories can be useful for any child who is struggling to understand a situation or concept or needs help to understand a social skill or social cue, expectations, perspectives, common responses or is troubled about an upcoming event but social stories are particularly useful for children on the autistic spectrum for whom social cues can be challenging and who often suffer anxiety if they do not know what to expect from a situation.

How and when might you use this?

· To implement a social story, you should first ensure that you have eliminated distractions; that it is just you and the child sitting together focussed on the story.

· Initially you should read the story through twice with the child but it is then vital to revisit it regularly.

· Try to find a way to incorporate the story into the child's daily schedule.

· If the story is relating to a particular inappropriate behavior, it is useful to read the story when this behavior occurs, you do not however want the story to be seen as any kind of punishment.

· Regularly praise your child and keep it a positive experience.

These books should be used over and over to reinforce the point so I would suggest either putting the pages into a display book or laminating and binding them.