My Parents are Getting Divorced Social Story

Divorce can be an extremely confusing and emotional time for children. This social story resource aims to clearly explain what divorce means and what to expect in a reassuring way to help ease a child’s worries. The story uses direct, simple language and visual supports.

The social story defines divorce in concrete terms as parents living in separate homes without being married anymore. It emphasizes that divorce is between the parents, not the child, and that both parents still love the child and will take care of them, even though they don’t live together. Common changes like moving between two homes and having different routines are covered. The story validates the difficult emotions the child might experience like sadness, anger, or confusion. It outlines how to verbalize feelings and who to talk to if needing support during this transition.

The story has a reassuring tone throughout, communicating the consistency and care the child can rely on. Visual supports reinforce the narrative. The direct explanations and matter-of-fact delivery help take some of the uncertainty and abstractness out of divorce. Knowing what to expect reduces anxiety. This social story resource thereby facilitates comprehension and adaptation for children on the spectrum facing the complex life change of parental divorce. It teaches the social-emotional skills these children require to navigate this challenge.

These books should be used over and over to reinforce the point so I would suggest either putting the pages into a display book or laminating and binding them.

Clipart images courtesy of Kari Bolt Clip Art