Social Story: I Can Go to Surgery!

Description

Use this social story for kiddos who are struggling with the anticipation of getting surgery done. This is a difficult situation for both the kiddo and the whole family, and this social story aims to help your child to understand what’s happening, as well as what to expect. 

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR CAREGIVERS: The amount of information you’d like to share with your child regarding their surgery is entirely up to you. Some children do better with more information regarding their procedure, and for others it may increase their anxiety. You know your child best! Because of this, we recommend reading the social story prior to showing it to your child, and omitting/adding any information that you feel is necessary.

This social story includes a total of 8 different versions of the same story, covering illustrations of girl and boy versions of 4 different ethnicities.

Some parts of the story:

1. Many kids bring their favorite toy or stuffed animal with them to the hospital. What will you bring?
2. I will be at the hospital for ___ days. That means I will sleep there for ___ night(s)!
3. My family will be at the hospital with me to make sure that I have everything that I need. There will also be a lot of friendly doctors and nurses who can help me!
4. At the hospital, I will meet many new doctors and nurses! They will get me ready to get surgery. Some things I might do are… (wear a hospital gown/bracelet, get my weight taken, get my blood pressure taken)