Hurricanes change everything a child counts on: the windows go dark behind shutters, the lights and air conditioning may turn off, school closes, therapy sessions move, and sometimes the whole family packs the car and leaves. For many autistic children, a short, predictable story read ahead of time makes those changes less of a surprise. Below you will find a free example social story, "When a Hurricane Comes," written in plain language, plus how to adapt it, when to read it and what the research does and does not say.
Please read this first: the story on this page is an example. It is a starting point to adapt with your child's BCBA or speech therapist, so that the words, length, pictures and the "stay home" or "leave home" version match your child and your family's plan.
What is a social story, and does it help autistic children?
A social story is a short, simple story that describes a situation from your child's point of view: what will happen, what other people may do or feel, and one or two things your child can do. The most widely used version, Social Stories, was developed by Carol Gray. Other kinds of "social narratives" include comic strip conversations and Power Cards, which use a child's special interest.
The research base is real but modest, and it is worth knowing what it covers:
- The National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice (NCAEP) at the University of North Carolina reviewed autism intervention research published from 1990 to 2017. Its 2020 report (Steinbrenner and colleagues) lists social narratives among 28 evidence-based practices, defined as interventions that "describe social situations in order to highlight relevant features of a target behavior or skill and offer examples of appropriate responding." The review counted 21 qualifying studies.
- UNC's AFIRM team summarizes that evidence as 20 single-case design studies and 1 group design study, with effects reported for preschool, elementary, middle school and high school learners, and outcomes that include communication, behavior, adaptive skills, school readiness and social skills.
- Most of those studies followed a small number of children closely. That means social narratives help many learners, not every learner, and the AFIRM guide recommends tracking whether the story is actually helping your child and trying something else if it is not.
A storm story is also a kind of preparation tool, like a visual schedule. It works best alongside the other pieces of your plan: a sensory hurricane go-kit, practice with headphones and flashlights, and a calm adult who reads it the same way each time.
Example social story: "When a Hurricane Comes"
This example is written in the first person, with one short idea per page. Following the AFIRM guidance for Social Stories, it uses at least two describing sentences for every sentence that tells your child what they can do. Pages 6 and 7 have two versions: keep the one that matches your family's plan and remove the other. Add a photo or simple drawing to each page.
Page 1. My name is ______. I live in Florida. Sometimes Florida has big storms called hurricanes.
Page 2. A hurricane has strong wind and a lot of rain. Hurricanes usually come in summer and fall. Grown-ups watch the weather news to know when a hurricane might come.
Page 3. When a hurricane is coming, my family gets ready. We get water, food and flashlights. We pack my go-bag with my headphones, my snacks and my ______. I can help pack my go-bag.
Page 4. Before the storm, my grown-ups may close shutters or cover the windows. The house may look darker inside. That is okay. The covers help protect our home from the wind.
Page 5. School may close for a few days. My therapy time may change too. My grown-up will show me my schedule. I can look at my schedule to see what comes next.
Page 6 (stay-home version). We might stay at home during the hurricane. We stay inside, away from the windows. The wind can sound very loud. Loud wind is a hurricane sound. I can wear my headphones if the sound is too loud.
Page 6 (leave-home version). We might go somewhere else during the hurricane, like ______'s house or a shelter. We will ride in the car. The ride may be long. I can bring my go-bag and my ______.
Page 7 (shelter version). A shelter is a big building where many families stay safe from the storm. It may be loud and busy. There may be cots or mats to sleep on. I can wear my headphones. I can stay with my grown-up.
Page 8. Sometimes the power goes off during a storm. The lights, TV and air conditioning may stop. It may feel hot and dark. My family has flashlights. I can hold my flashlight. I can drink water when I feel hot.
Page 9. I might feel scared, upset or bored. Lots of people feel that way in a storm. My grown-ups work hard to keep me safe. I can say, sign, point to or tap "help" or "break."
Page 10. Storms do not last forever. After the hurricane, the wind and rain stop.
Page 11. After the storm, things outside may look different. There may be branches, puddles or big water. Water outside after a storm can be dirty or dangerous. I stay with my grown-up and stay out of the water.
Page 12. Little by little, things go back to the way they were. The power comes back. School opens again. My therapy time comes back. My grown-ups are proud of me for getting through the storm.
Why page 11 matters: floodwater is a real danger. Ready.gov advises people not to walk, swim or drive through flood water, and notes that it can carry germs and be charged by downed power lines. If your child is drawn to water, keep this page and pair it with the layers in our drowning prevention guide.
How do I adapt the story for my child?
- Match your plan. Keep only the version (stay home, relative's house, hotel or shelter) your family is likely to use. If you do not know yet, read the version you think is most likely and add the other pages closer to the storm.
- Use your own photos. A photo of your shutters, your car, your go-bag and the relative's front door is usually clearer than a cartoon.
- Match your child's language level. For a child who uses few words, cut each page to one sentence and one picture. For an older child or teen, you can add a bit more detail about weather news and what adults are doing.
- Keep it calm and true. Avoid promises you cannot keep, such as "nothing will break" or "the power will not go out." Leave out frightening details your child does not need.
- Use your child's words for asking. Replace "help" and "break" with the exact signs, cards or device buttons your child already uses.
- Work with the team. Your child's BCBA or speech therapist can check that the story fits your child's comprehension, choose the one or two target skills (such as wearing headphones or asking for a break) and plan practice.
If your family speaks another language at home, read the story in that language. Our Spanish-language family storm plan, huracanes y autismo: plan familiar, is written for Spanish-speaking families. Hope Center works with families in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Bengali and Russian, so staff who speak your home language can help you adapt the wording.
When and how should I read it?
The AFIRM step-by-step guide gives a simple routine: read the story before the situation, in a quiet place without distractions, check understanding with a few easy questions, practice the skill with a short role play, then praise or reward your child when they use it. For a hurricane story, an example timeline looks like this (adapt it to your child; it is not a fixed schedule):
- Early in the season (around June): read the story a few times when there is no storm. Pair it with something pleasant, like a favorite snack.
- Practice the "I can" lines: wear the headphones while you play a recording of wind, hold the flashlight during a "lights out" game, point to the "break" card.
- When a storm is in the news: read it daily, and show which version your family will use.
- During the storm: keep it in the go-bag and read it if it comforts your child. If your child does not want it, do not force it.
- After the storm: read pages 10 to 12 and show your child's schedule as routines return. Our guide on restarting ABA and routines after a hurricane covers this step.
What if the story makes my child more anxious?
Some children worry more after hearing about a storm. If that happens, stop for now. Shorten the story, remove the pages that seem to upset your child, or read only the "getting ready" and "after the storm" pages. Talk with your child's BCBA about a slower plan. If your child's fear, sleep or behavior changes a lot before or after a storm, talk with their pediatrician too. Children should not take part in storm cleanup, which Ready.gov also advises against.
How can Hope Center help?
Social stories and other visual supports are part of how ABA teaches new routines. At Hope Center, every program is written by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, reviewed by our clinical director and delivered by Registered Behavior Technicians, and parents receive weekly parent training. If storm season is hard for your child, tell us at intake or bring it up with your BCBA so it can become part of the plan.
To talk about ABA services for your child, contact Hope Center or call 561-337-8865 for a free consultation and a free check of your insurance benefits.