Social scripts

Support Autistic people to understand experiences and environments using simple, effective storytelling tools.

What’s a social script?

A social script is a document that uses storytelling techniques to explain new experiences and environments to Autistic people through simple language and images.

A social script will usually include very specific and illustrated information about what an Autistic person can expect when visiting a place or event – such as how they’ll travel to a place, what it will look like, who will engage with them, what activities will occur, and what they can do if they feel overwhelmed.

Two examples of social scripts Amaze created for Parks Victoria.

Who’s creating social scripts?

Any organisation that interacts or engages with Autistic people and their families can benefit from a social script.

Amaze has collaborated with many organisations to create specialised social scripts, including:

• Museums Victoria
• Parks Victoria
• Sovereign Hill
• St Vincent’s Private Hospital.

Social scripts have proven highly successful in reducing barriers to access and participation for Autistic people in a way that’s both cost-effective and sustainable for organisations.

References

Gray C (2015), The new Social Story™ book [revised and expanded], Future Horizons. 

Raising Children Network 2022, Social stories, viewed 9th January 2023. https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/therapies-guide/social-stories

Hanrahan R, Smith E, Johnson H, Constantin A, Brosnan M (2020), ‘A Pilot randomised control trial of digitally-mediated social stories for children on the autism spectrum, Journal of Autism Developmental Disorders, 50: 4242-4257.