The social story below titled “Going to the Dentist” was designed to help parents prepare their child for a dentist’s appointment. Going to the dentist can be scary for some children but having a social story as a tool on hand to explain what to expect and what will happen at the visit is a great way to relieve a little bit of the anxiety and explain to them what’s going on, what instruments the Dr. will be using and what happens when they’re all done!Â
(Feel free to print this file and bring it to your child’s next visit!)
Social stories address:
- Reasons for going to the place you’re visiting
- Waiting for your turn and/or turn-takingÂ
- What to expect or what happens at the place
- What happens after you’re done
Social stories are designed as a tool to help parents prepare their children for upcoming events, trips and situations. They can help support the reasoning for the event or visit and what to expect before, during, and after. Want to make your own social story? We’ve created a for you to use at home! Download it out here: Social Story Template
Another useful tool to bring to the dentist can be a communication core board. A core board is a method of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) that combines pictures and words of core vocabulary to support communication by having the individual point at the prompts and photos. They can point to “I am scared” if they’re nervous or “I want a sticker” at the end of their visit as a reward! And if it gets too loud or they’re uncomfortable while they’re in the dental chair they can point to “too noisy” or “I don’t like it.”
Bringing a core board to the dentist helps the child express their emotions during the visit, can calm their nerves, and can help you explain what they can expect while there, so they can understand what’s going on.Â
Download a core board for your child’s next dentist visit here.
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