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Social story topics

Social story: Using a quiet voice inside

"Use your inside voice" assumes a student can hear how loud they are and knows what quiet means in this room. Many autistic and neurodivergent students cannot easily judge their own volume, especially when excited, and the rule changes from the classroom to the playground without anyone saying so.

This story makes volume concrete: what a quiet voice sounds like, where a loud voice is welcome, and a simple way to check. A visual volume scale on the wall, numbered or coloured, gives the teacher a way to point rather than tell, which most students take far better.

A sample story

Illustration from a sample social story about using a quiet voice inside: The main character stands next to their classroom desk, lips gently closed, one hand resting flat on the desk.

My Quiet Voice Inside

  1. 1Inside the classroom, other children are working quietly.
  2. 2My teacher knows that loud voices make it hard to think.
  3. 3Sometimes I want to talk loudly inside the classroom.
  4. 4I close my lips, breathe out slowly, and then speak in a soft, small voice.
  5. 5I use my quiet voice inside, and the classroom feels calm and good.

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.

Free to try · no card needed.

Tips for using it

  • Use a visual volume scale and point to the level rather than saying "shh".
  • Name the places where loud is fine, so the rule is about place not about the child.
  • Practise the quiet voice in a game, not only when it has gone wrong.

Common questions

What if the student really cannot hear their own volume?

Then a visual scale and a gentle hand signal matter more than the story. The story explains the rule; the scale gives the student a way to check it in the moment.

Should the story say "no shouting"?

The generator writes what to do rather than what not to do, which lands better. You can edit any line, but keep the positive framing where you can.

Can I make a matching visual?

Yes. After the story, the next-step card opens the visual supports tool with the same topic, so a volume scale or a set of rule cards takes a minute.