Social story topics
Social story: Getting a haircut
A haircut means someone touching your head, cold water from a spray bottle, hair falling on your face and neck, scissors clicking next to your ear and sometimes clippers that buzz against the skin. For a student who finds touch and sound intense, it is one of the hardest outings there is.
This story describes each step and names the sensations honestly, then says what the student can do: hold a toy, watch a screen, ask for a break. Read it in the days before and share it with the hairdresser, who can follow the same order and stop when the story says a break is allowed.
A sample story
My Haircut at the Hairdresser
- 1First, I sit in the big chair at the hairdresser.
- 2The hairdresser puts a cape around me to keep my clothes dry.
- 3Then the hairdresser uses scissors to cut small pieces of my hair.
- 4Finally, my haircut is done and my hair looks neat and tidy.
A sample made with HandsOnTop. Yours is written for your student.
Make this story for your student
The situation is filled in. Add a name and what they love, then click Make it — the first one is free.
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Tips for using it
- Book the first appointment of the day when the salon is quiet.
- Ask the hairdresser to skip the spray and the clippers if either is a problem.
- Let the student bring something to hold or watch, and put it in the story.
Common questions
Can the story skip the parts we will not do?
Yes. Write the topic to match the plan, for example "a haircut with scissors only and no spray bottle", and the story will follow it.
What if the haircut happens at home?
Change the topic to "a haircut at home with Mum" and the story will describe that instead, with the same honesty about the sensations.
How far ahead should we read it?
Daily for three or four days before, and once in the car on the way. Short and often beats one long read.