DS2 (4.1) loves his handdryer social story

[linglette]

The SALT has sent me a very basic social story about having to use public toilets.

It has pictures of hand-dryers and of a boy with a scared face.

DS2 loves it so much I had to read it (with embellishments) five times.

I've got that happy-and-sad-at-the-same-time feeling, because it brings home how large these things loom in his life and how the people around him usually ignore or dismiss things that really preoccupy him. .

I could just see how much it meant to him [happy]

So well done the SALT: I shall send her a friendly email to say thank you.

has it got a name? my ds is so scared of the noise hand dryers make i think it would be good if i could get hold of a copy,

Lingle, has he been ok with handdryers since he got the book?

I know what you mean by others ignoring or dismissing things.

5inthetomb - Oh I doubt it will cause a miracle cure! But maybe it will be a first step. All I'm attempting at the moment is to go into small public toilets where I can control whether the handdryer is on or not. Motorway service stations will continue to be problematic for a while yet!

DLI, It's incredibly basic - not a proper book or anything, just the barest sketch of a story that someone has typed out, with each line being accompanied by a photo. Here you go:

"Sometimes I need to go to the toilet in a shop or supermarket

Sometimes my mum, dad or brother need to go to the toilet in a shop or supermarket

After we have been to the toilet, we have to wash our hands

Usually there is a handdryer in the toilet or shops or supermarket

Handryers make a noise. This is okay. This is how they work and dry our hands

I will try not to be frightened of the noise of the hand dryer

When we have dried our hands the noise will stop

When I have finished drying my hands we leave the toilet. Sometimes we carry on shopping

When we have finished shopping, we will go home "

I can see that it would be improved if there was a picture of a happy face after the scared face - to show the child being reassured and conquering his fear.

I only have a hard copy and can't see any other handdryer ones online anywhere obvious but you could go to Google Images to get pictures I think. I would also love a toy handdryer - wonder if it exists?

I'm amazed there are no "real" stories about handdryers as most children remember being afraid of them.

DS2 has gone from hating them to being obsessed with them. He has to investigate every single bloody one when we are anywhere near a toilet.

i think i might have a look at compiling it myself as it would be very useful,

thanks for telling me what it said,

My ds has a problem with hand dryers too. He does understand what they are and why they are noisy, but he finds the noise really painful. We usually use the disabled loos and don't turn them on! I wouldn't want to push it with him.

I foudn a good site for making own books that might be good for binding social stories - www.lulu.com. The smallest they do is 32 pages, but I guess you could do a few stories in one? A friend of mine order a 50 page photo book from them and it only cost £15 delivered. Much cheaper than most sites.

SALT has replied again saying

"I wrote the story using a free programme I found on the internet called story builder developed by Leeds Metropolitan university."

sounds googlable!

DS2 will say "I'm not crying!" when he is scared but being brave so I may try to rewrite it incorporating that......