🏫My Day at School
The plan changed. That was all it took. A different route to school, a substitute teacher, a cancelled swimming lesson — and the day fell apart.
What's actually happening
Resistance to routine change is common in all young children but can be particularly intense for autistic and neurodivergent children. Routine provides predictability, which reduces cognitive load — the child doesn't have to figure out what happens next because they already know (Kanner, 1943). When routine breaks, the child faces a sudden increase in uncertainty and information processing demands. Flannery & Horner (1994) found that providing advance information about changes reduced problem behaviour by an average of 80% in children with developmental disabilities. The child isn't being inflexible — they're managing a genuine cognitive challenge.
What parents usually try
Springing changes without warning
Avoids anticipatory anxiety but removes the child's ability to prepare. Advance notice — even brief — is consistently more effective than surprise (Flannery & Horner, 1994).
"Just go with the flow"
Assumes cognitive flexibility that may not yet be developed. Flexibility is a skill that develops through practice with support, not through exposure to chaos (Kenworthy et al., 2014).
Over-detailed explanations of why the change happened
The child may not care why — they need to know what happens now. Concrete, sequential information about the new plan is more helpful than reasons for the old one changing.
What actually helps
Social narratives for routine changes follow Gray's (2010) structure adapted for transitions: describe the routine, introduce the change, show the character's feelings (validated, not corrected), and walk through the new plan step by step. Kenworthy et al. (2014) found that cognitive flexibility interventions that used narrative and visual supports showed significant improvements in children's ability to tolerate change. The story doesn't promise the change will be fun — it makes the change predictable, which is what the child actually needs.
How this story works
Social narratives for routine changes prepare children for the unpredictable. The story makes the change visible and manageable, rather than sudden and overwhelming.
What your child hears
Your child's character walks through a routine, step by step. Then something changes. The story shows what to do when the expected becomes unexpected — with calm, practical strategies the child can actually use.
When to use this story
Before any known routine change (substitute teacher, schedule change, cancelled event)
When transitions between activities are consistently difficult
Before travel or holidays that disrupt daily routines
When the child is starting a new routine (new school, new activity)
As a general resilience-building story about managing the unexpected
After the story
The story is the beginning. Here's how to keep it going:
“What happens first at school?”
“What do you do when the bell rings?”
“Who helps you at school?”
Try this
Create a visual schedule together for the specific routine
The research behind this approach(show)
Evidence-based stories for neurodivergent children using social narrative approaches, narrative therapy, and sensory-aware storytelling.
- Gray, C. (2015). The New Social Story Book (15th Anniversary Edition). Future Horizons.
- White, M. & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends. Norton.
- Dunn, W. (2007). Living Sensationally: Understanding Your Senses. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.