Social story topics
Social story: Going on a school excursion
An excursion replaces the whole timetable with a day of unknowns: a bus, a place the student has never been, a different lunch spot, new adults giving instructions, and a long time away from the usual room. For autistic and neurodivergent students the excitement everyone else feels can arrive as dread.
This story lays the day out in order, with the venue named and the parts that will be the same, such as the class and the teacher, made clear. Read it in the week before, look at photos of the venue together, and send a copy home so the family can read it too.
A sample story
My School Excursion Day
- 1Today my class is going on an excursion.
- 2My teacher keeps a list of everyone on the bus.
- 3The bus ride can feel loud and bumpy.
- 4I can hold my bag on my lap and look out the window.
- 5I go on my excursion and I feel proud.
A sample made with HandsOnTop. Yours is written for your student.
Make this story for your student
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Tips for using it
- Look at the venue website or photos together while reading the story.
- Name the adult the student will stay with and keep that the same all day.
- Pack the lunch the student always has, even if the day is special.
Common questions
When should I write it?
As soon as the excursion is confirmed. Read it a few times in the week before, and once on the bus if the student wants.
Can it include the bus ride?
Yes, as a page or two. If the bus itself is the hard part, there is a separate bus story on this site that goes into more detail.
What if the plan changes on the day?
Use the general "when the timetable changes" story alongside this one, so the student has already heard that excursion days sometimes shift.