Does your child have a specific medical test or procedure coming up?
Are they going for their annual checkup?
Are they unsure about what to expect or feeling nervous?
Well, these social stories are here to help!
Below you will find a variety of stories on medical related topics such as not feeling well, vaccinations, blood tests, checking your temperature, and specific types of appointments (EEGs, day surgery, heart surgery, and x-rays, for example).
Stories about eye exams, however, are not included here. Instead you can find free social stories about going to the eye doctor here.
Keep in mind that your doctor's office, medical clinic, or hospital might have social stories of their own on their website. In case they don't, you can use one of these free social stories about going to the doctor. They're great tools for preparing your child (or yourself!) for an upcoming appointment.
Free Social Stories About Going to the Doctor & Specific Medical Procedures or Tests
Have you been looking for a social story about doctor visits, vaccinations, and/or other medical procedures? Then look no further than these free printable study skills social stories. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account (which is free!) before you can download them.
I've rounded up some options for you to explore. That way you find the doctor or medical related social story for yourself or your child. Or you can simply use ideas from different stories below to write your own custom story (free social story templates here to help).
Please note that just because a social story is listed here does not mean I endorse its content. After all, many social stories tend to be poorly written and/or teach autistic masking. Besides, I haven't read all of these stories word for word myself. So please read through the stories carefully before using them.
1. Going to the Doctor Social Story from ASERT - This story seems to cover an annual checkup, but could certainly be adapted for other needs. It uses clipart and has diverse characters shown. It includes mentions of playing with toys and getting a sticker at the end so geared more towards children.
2. Not Feeling Well Social Story from ASERT - There are three stories included here, as well as an animated story. One story covers some symptoms of feeling sick. A second story talks about telling a doctor about your symptoms. The third one is more COVID specific. All stories use colorful clipart.
3. Going to the Doctor Social Stories from Happy Learners - Here are two text only social stories about doctor visits. No images are included.
4. Blood Tests Social Stories from Happy Learners - Need to get a blood test done? These two text only social stories will be useful. No images are included.
5. Social Stories About Injections/Vaccinations from Happy Learners - Here you'll find three text only social stories about getting vaccinated. No images are included, which is especially nice for those who hate the sight of needles.
6. Going to the Doctor Social Story from Autism Little Learners - This story uses colorful clipart to talk about doctor appointments. It includes some diverse characters. It also comes with images for kids to point out what hurts or for the doctor to point out what they will be checking next during the appointment.
7. Being in the Hospital Social Story from Autism Little Learners - This story is geared towards a child who needs to have heart surgery. It uses colorful clipart and some diverse characters. It's available in both English and Turkish.
8. Social Story About Vaccinations from Autism Little Learners - Here's a story that talks about getting vaccinated. It uses colorful clipart and diverse characters. It's available in both English and Turkish.
9. Getting my Temperature Taken Story from Autism Little Learners - This story uses colorful clipart and diverse characters to talk kids through getting their temperature taken. The story is available in English, Turkish, and Afrikaans.
10. Going to See the Doctor Social Story from Social Stories: Power Tool for Autism - This story only includes one image so it's primarily text based. It covers a basic yearly checkup.
11. Medical Appointments Social Story Collection from Boston Medical Center - Need a social story in a different language? Need one for a specific procedure or doctor visit? Then look here. There are tons of topics covered here including blood draws, getting an allergy test, getting an x-ray, getting a cast, CAT scans, EKGs, riding in an ambulance, and so much more. These stories use clipart and are many come in multiple languages.
12. Medical Appointments & Procedures Social Story Collection from Mass General for Children - There are tons of social stories here. Topics include checking your height, drawing blood, getting a cast, getting an IV, getting stitches, x-rays, and so much more. If you need something specific, definitely check here.
13. My Hospital Story from Boston Children's Hospital - Need a personalized story? No problem! This website lets you enter your child's name and parent's name, select a specific hospital related topic (tons of options here!), and even if you want boy or girl artwork. Topics covered include sleep study, x-rays, casts, blood draws, EEGs, day surgery, neurology visits, and more.
14. Going to the Doctor Social Story from Autism Society Alberta - This story uses full color photos and simple text.
15. Having a Blood Test Social Story from Autism Society Alberta - This story uses a wide variety of clipart and one photo. I like that it provides proper names for some of the tools and equipment used.
16. Social Story About Going to the Doctor from Exceptionally Autism on Teachers Pay Teachers - It looks like this story uses clipart. Not much else about the story is provided in the description.
17. Getting Shots at the Doctor from Behavior Therapy and More on Teachers Pay Teachers - This story talks about getting a vaccination and uses a random assortment of clipart. It's available in PowerPoint so it should be editable.
18. Social Story: It's Okay to Go to the Hospital to Feel Better from Linda Walter on Teachers Pay Teachers - This story uses icon style clipart. It is in Word format so hopefully that means you can edit it too.
Video Social Stories About Doctor Visits
Here are some video social stories that talk about doctor visits and other medical appointments. You can use these in teletherapy sessions, social skills groups, and/or at home. Videos are always a great alternative to printing off a story.
Like the stories above, some of the wording in these videos aren't always great. But I wanted to make sure you had lots of different options for learning about going to the doctor's office.
Remember, there are likely tons of other free social stories about going to the doctor out there (it's impossible to find them all!). Your specific medical clinic or hospital may even have stories on their website. So be sure to check there as well.
