"Social story" and "role-play" are two ways of preparing for a social situation. They are not the same thing. This article says what each tool does, how they differ, and how to use them together.
What a social story is
In this article, a social story is a short text, often illustrated, that describes a specific situation before you face it: where, with whom, what happens, what you can do. In French, the health authority HAS speaks of "scénarios sociaux" (social scenarios).
The name comes from Carol Gray, who began as a teacher in Michigan and writes: "In 1990, I developed Social Stories". On her website she describes them as "a social learning tool that supports the safe and meaningful exchange of information between parents, professionals, and people with autism of all ages". Each story "accurately describes a personally relevant topic (often a context, skill, achievement, or concept) according to ten defining criteria", for an audience that is "a child, adolescent, or adult". Here "social story" is a common noun in the broad sense; Social Stories™ is the name of Carol Gray's more precise method.
HAS lists social scenarios among its tools. In its recommendations for adults, it recommends that professionals "use visual (for example video) and concrete tools to help the person understand and make decisions in social situations (social scenarios, emotion thermometer for example)". Its 2026 recommendation for children and adolescents also mentions "social scenarios", for example to get used to health care step by step.
What a role-play is
In a role-play (Sociami calls it a simulation), you act out the situation: you speak or write, someone answers you, and you can start again. In its recommendation for adults, HAS recommends that professionals set up ways to understand social codes "through experimentation and exercises in concrete situations", with, if needed, "a practice partner who goes over the skills acquired and plays them again". It mentions ways of learning "in a group, individually, in a virtual context or in real life". NICE, in its guideline for autistic adults, describes social learning programmes that should typically include "individual feedback" (or peer feedback in a group) and "suggested strategies for dealing with socially difficult situations".
The partner can be a person; HAS does not mention AI. In a Sociami simulation, an AI plays a part: a recruiter, a neighbour, a classmate. You answer out loud, or in writing if you prefer. At the end, you get a report: what worked first, ideas for next time.
The difference, in a table
A social story tells you what will happen. A role-play lets you try your sentences.
| Social story | Role-play | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | You read or look. | You speak or write, and you get an answer. |
| What you get from it | You know what to expect. | You have already said your sentences. |
| Who prepares it | A person who knows you. | A practice partner, or an AI. |
| When | Beforehand, to reread as often as you like. | Beforehand, to redo as often as you like. |
| Its limit | It does not let you practise your answer. | It is not written for your exact situation. |
This table is a summary by Sociami, not a quotation from the sources.
Using them together
Read first, then play: the story gives the outline, the role-play lets you practise it. For example, before a job interview, you read the story of that appointment, then replay the first sentences out loud. You can follow the same order to prepare for starting secondary school. Both touch on what the HAS glossary calls social skills: "the set of abilities that allow us to perceive, understand and communicate our emotions and needs in an appropriate way and to achieve our relational goals".
HAS lists social scenarios among tools and practical situations among arrangements; it does not compare them, and does not say which suits a given person better. It is up to you, with a professional or someone you trust if you wish, to see what helps.
What Sociami does, and what it does not do
Sociami offers simulations (role-plays), out loud or in writing, and illustrated A4 sheets to print: you choose a subject, Sociami writes the steps and illustrates them. These sheets are not Social Stories™ in Carol Gray's sense. None of the sources cited here has evaluated Sociami. It is a practice tool, not a treatment or a medical device.
To see what a simulation looks like, see an example session: a first job interview, with example data. This article gives practical pointers, not medical advice.
FAQ
Are a social story and a social scenario the same thing?
"Social story" is the name Carol Gray gave to her method, Social Stories™. "Scénarios sociaux" is the term HAS uses in French. The sources cited do not say whether the two terms cover exactly the same thing: in this article, we use them for the shared idea, a text that describes a situation before you face it.
From what age can you use a social story?
Carol Gray writes that her Social Stories are for "a child, adolescent, or adult". Her definition therefore gives no minimum age. For social skills training groups, HAS recommends that professionals offer them as early as possible, and at least from the age of 6. Sociami, which is not a training group and which HAS does not mention, is for autistic people from age 6.
Who can write a social story?
For Carol Gray's method, the people who write them, whom she calls "Authors", follow a defined process: gathering information, finding a topic that fits the person, writing personalised text and illustrating it. A text that does not meet her definition is not a Social Story in her sense.
Does a role-play replace a social story?
No, they do two different things. The story gives the outline, the role-play lets you practise it. Neither replaces a professional who knows you.
Do I have to speak out loud in a simulation?
No. Before a simulation, Sociami offers to check your microphone. If you do not have one, or you prefer to write, you choose "Continue in writing": the whole simulation is then done on the keyboard. During a spoken simulation, you can also write at any time.
Sources
These texts are about autism and support. None of them has evaluated Sociami. HAS recommendations are addressed to professionals. Passages from sources in French are translated by our editorial team. Links checked on 13 October 2026.
- Carol Gray, What is a Social Story?
- Carol Gray, Social Stories: history of the method.
- NICE, Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management (CG142), recommendation 1.4.2, updated 14 June 2021.
- HAS and Anesm (France), Trouble du spectre de l'autisme : interventions et parcours de vie de l'adulte, good practice recommendations, December 2017 (in French; visual tools, practical situations, glossary). Page of the recommendation.
- HAS (France), Trouble du spectre de l'autisme : interventions et parcours de vie du nourrisson, de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, good practice recommendation, January 2026 (in French; sections 3.2.3 and 5.2.1). Page of the recommendation.
Sociami is a tool for practising social situations, not a medical device.