Social Stories
Social Stories allow you to prepare your neurodivergent child or family member to "know before you go" and what to expect. It describes a step-by-step of what they will find: the layout of the space, any wait time, and noises to expect.
Describing the experience in advance allows them to prepare and familiarize themselves in advance. These brief guides support successful encounters in the community between family members of neurodivergent family members and professionals.
The ones included on this page come from our training attendees and we woud love to add more. If you have attended one of our trainings & would like us to help you create one, please reach out and let us know!
Petite Art Studio Katonah
Ms. Amanda and Ms. Julianne of Petite Art Studio in Katonah NY attended one of our Neurodiversity Trainings and created this gorgeous social story book that is a work of art to look through. Be sure to check it out and stop by their sweet space!
Katonah Museum of Art
The KMA has hosted two Inclusive Open Houses to date and plans to host more, has opened up an area to be a quiet space during Family Days and other events, has had multiple trainings by us for staff and volunteers to have better understanding, and has been committed to the initiaitve and then some. Visit their Accessibility Page for more info, including updated social stories for each exhibit:
https://www.katonahmuseum.org/visit/accessibility.php and ask for their:
KMA Sense Family Backpack: For family visitors with children on the autism spectrum or who have sensory processing differences this backpack is available at the front desk. It includes noise-reducing headphones, fidget toys, an art activity, and some special books.
Katonah Village Library
You can view the Katonah Village Library's social story in the Children's Room of the Library on the lower level or you can view it here to know before you go! The Library is committed to neurodiversity support by having headphones, fidgets, and sensory objects on hand. Visit https://katonahlibrary.org for more information.
Bedford Playhouse
Bedford Playhouse hosts monthly Sensory Sensitive Screenings and has sensory support kits, made by us, readily available on hand.
Visit https://bedfordplayhouse.org for more information.
Old New House
Co-founder Melissa Dilmaghani is co-owner of Old New House - Vintage Rugs and Home - in Katonah, NY, and they have sensory kits on hand, private appointments available, in-home viewings and appointments available by request, all staff trained on neurodiversity and autism yearly, and more. Their Social Story was made using The Social Story Creator App and is a great example of what we (Inclusive Initiative) can do for any business or organization who has attended our trainings. Please see our graphic at he bottom of this page to see how to get started!
