I don’t mean to discredit Carol Gray by any means. She has invented the story of stories to help autistic kids navigate the how and why of the world. The social story helps. It gives kids a spine to stand strong in so many situations that make up life. From the dentist, the fire drill, getting a haircut, to a pet that dies. You name it, there is probably a social story on it. Ms. Gray thought about kids. She thought about not just autistic kids but about what kids needed to know , understand, and do. She thought about how many kids have questions and are confused about the new things that come about their journey. They have been absolute miracle workers with kids!

But here is a confession, we didn’t use and still don’t Social Stories much with Goldie. We had a plan, we explained, we taught, we practiced, and we celebrated. But I never had a library of genuine social stories to pull out to “save the day” in a moment of challenge. Perhaps, I should have.

Instead, I read her lots of stories. We read her Pete’s a Pizza And so… one rainy day when Goldie was three, Goldie said: “It’s raining Pete!” So we tossed her up in the air and landed her on the couch. We did it many times until the couch lost its bounce. When she was two, she cried every time we left the room at night when she was supposed to go to sleep. So we read, Peek a Who? and practiced covering our faces with our hands, a blanket, or hiding behind the door. It helped….some. On a winter day, that I made chocolate chips cookies , I firmly told Goldie “only two ” and with chocolate all over her face and fingertips, I wiped her clean and read Frog and Toad’s Cookies and from that day forward, she decided two was enough and we could feed the rest to the birds. Once when I told her she had chores to do, ( including mopping the kitchen floor), she said “Are you my stepmother?” “No, I am your mother.” I said. Then, where in the world is my fairy godmother?” Goldie accepted life’s work even though her fairy godmother didn’t appear.

Goldie frequents the library. She reads books that she would rather not read but is required to read. “Ugh!” she cried reading The Outsiders, “It is so sad that he has had so much trouble. When will he ever be happy again?” Goldie said after reading The Outsiders. Compassion brewed inside and she began to wear her heart on her sleeve. She reads and insist that a happy ending is the only kind of ending. So when the princess from the story Fairest is poisoned, it stops her in her tracks. She may throw up her hands because she knows this world has too much trouble. But she has leaned to fold her hands in prayer because of all the trouble. She puzzles over all the “looks” and secrets and do’s and don’ts of life of real ladies and gentlemen of Pride and Prejudice who prance around doing practically nothing all day. “Just dance with her!” she cries because Mr. Darcy is too rich to dance with lowly Elizabeth. Or maybe Elizabeth is out to prove she’s too good for Mr. Darcy. Goldie combs her hair, brushes her teeth, and dresses in “comfy” to take on her day wherever it leads.

Thank you Carol Gray for your stories. They are still out there and still need to be used. They bring understanding to the confusing and the new. They always will. But also, thank you William Steig, Arnold Nobel, the Brothers Grim, Jane Austen, SE Hinton, and other authors who tell a good story.. So good, Goldie has learned for life from them. She still does. Lots she’s learned from those stories. It’s not how Carol imagines the story should be for life learning. But these stories open up a new understanding. They still do.