Daily Routines
Every child is unique.Their stories should be too.
The moment your child sees themselves in a story, their name, their face, their exact challenge, something clicks. Social stories built for the child in front of you, backed by decades of research.
✓ 100+ free stories, no account needed✓ Personalized stories from $2.99✓ Stories they'll ask to read again
www.growtale.org
Born from love
GrowTale was born from the experience of raising a son on the autism spectrum, and the realization that generic social stories just don't connect.
Through countless conversations with other parents navigating similar journeys and collaboration with local educators, a clear need emerged: families deserve tools that actually work, built by people who truly understand.
AI powers the engine, but the heart of GrowTale is a carefully designed framework informed by decades of research in child psychology, applied behavior analysis, and special education best practices.
How personalized stories work
A story built around your child. Ready in minutes, theirs to keep forever.
1
Your child becomes the character
Name, appearance, interests, the people they love. Every detail shapes the story.
2
Name the exact challenge
Be as specific as you need. The more real it is, the more it resonates
3
A story they'll ask to read again
Ready in minutes. Theirs to keep, print, and carry anywhere
1 Story Credit · from $2.99
Create Profile
Customize your child's details
Describe the Story
Tell us what you need
Read Together
Beautiful illustrated stories
Two ways GrowTale helps
Start with what's free. Go further when your child needs something the library can't give them.
Free Forever
Story Library
For every child. No account, no cost, no decision.
- 100+ illustrated stories, free to read
- Save favorites and organize your reading list
- Download and print any story as a PDF
Your Child's Story
For the challenge only they face.
- Their name, appearance, and exact situation
- Custom illustrations following Carol Gray's methodology
- Print-ready PDF booklet, theirs to keep
No subscription. No monthly fee. Buy credits only when you need them.
Free Forever
Start reading right now. No account needed.
GrowTale includes a large library of free social stories covering common situations: dentist visits, first days of school, handling big emotions, and more.
- No account needed, ever
- Read, download, and print. Free.
- No credit card, ever
Explore the Library
20 stories available
Transitions
My New Grade and Teacher
6 min read
Transitions
Amir's First Day at Preschool
5 min read
Transitions
My First Rainbow Art Class
5 min read
Social Skills
When Friends Play Without Me
6 min read
Emotions
My Body Tells Me Things
6 min read
School
Eating Lunch in the Cafeteria
6 min read
School
When Ms. Davis Is Away
6 min read
School
Playing at Recess
6 min read
Daily Routines
Washing Hands Before Eating
7 min read
Health & Safety
Wearing My Mask
5 min read
Health & Safety
Using the Phone to Call for Help
6 min read
Daily Routines
My Visit to the Library
6 min read
Health & Safety
My First Swimming Lesson
6 min read
Health & Safety
Buckle Up for Every Ride
5 min read
Emotions
When My Pet Goes to Heaven
6 min read
Social Skills
Saying Sorry When I Make a Mistake
5 min read
Social Skills
Waiting My Turn in Line
5 min read
Social Skills
Going to a Birthday Party
6 min read
Daily Routines
Trying New Foods with Aisha
5 min read+
View Full Library
Browse all free stories
Swipe to explore • All stories free to read, download & print
Read it, print it, share it anywhere.
Every story works on any screen and prints as a physical booklet. No app, no download, no files to transfer. It goes where your child needs it.
iPhone
iPad
growtale.org
Desktop
Printed Booklet
No app download. Works on Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge.
www.growtale.org
Built for Everyone
Accessibility isn't an afterthought
GrowTale is designed to work for every family. We've built accessibility into every feature, because every child deserves stories that work for them.
Full VoiceOver Support
Complete screen reader compatibility
Dynamic Type
Respects your iOS font size settings
Dyslexia-Friendly
Optional OpenDyslexic font
Read Aloud
Text-to-speech on every page
WCAG 2.1 AA compliant • Reduced motion support • Offline reading
No Electronics Required
Something they can hold.
Every story downloads as a print-ready PDF. Fold it in half and you have a real booklet your child can carry, dog-ear, and return to on their own terms. No battery, no wifi, no negotiating screen time.
In the backpack
At grandma's house
With the counselor
No batteryNo wifiNo screen time debate
Not just a name in a template
GrowTale captures the full picture of who your child is. When they see themselves in the story, their hair, their favorite things, the people they love, the connection is immediate.
Appearance
Hair, eyes, skin tone. They see themselves in every illustration.
Interests
Their favorite things woven naturally into the story
Important People
Family members, teachers, friends. The people in their world.
Specific Challenges
The exact situations they need help navigating
Language to Avoid
Words or phrases that don't work for your child
Age-Appropriate Art
15+ styles matched to their developmental stage
Stories for challenges only your child faces
We're not talking about another generic dentist visit story. We're talking about:
- 1
The specific commercial that overwhelms them every time it comes on TV
- 2
The morning routine step they skip to avoid a particular classroom activity
- 3
The unique trigger that no generic story could ever address
Personalized stories start at $2.99
No subscription. Create one whenever you need it. Credits never expire.
Create a Personalized Story →Resources for Parents
Practical guides and tips to help your child navigate everyday challenges.
daily-routines
Social Stories for the Grocery Store: Making Errands Easier
Help your child with autism or ADHD handle grocery store trips with social stories. Covers sensory tips, practical strategies, and free resources.
7 min read
social-skills
Teaching Patience & Waiting: Social Stories That Work
Discover how social stories teach children with autism and ADHD to wait patiently. Practical strategies, examples, and free story resources.
8 min read
tips
Free Printable Social Stories for Autism: Complete Library & How to Use Them
Access our free printable social stories library for children with autism, ADHD, and anxiety. Organized by topic with instructions for home and school use.
10 min read
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything parents, educators, and therapists ask about social stories and how GrowTale works.
Social stories are short, structured narratives created by Carol Gray in 1990 to help children, particularly those with autism, understand social situations, routines, and expectations. They describe a situation from the child's perspective, explaining what will happen, why, and how to respond appropriately.
Yes. Research consistently shows that social stories are an evidence-based intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder. Studies demonstrate improvements in social skills, daily routines, and emotional regulation. Personalized social stories, featuring the child's own name and interests, show even stronger engagement and outcomes.
You create a profile with your child's name, age, appearance, interests, and challenges. Then you describe the situation you want to address. GrowTale's AI generates a custom illustrated story featuring your child, following Carol Gray's Social Story methodology. Stories can be read online, downloaded as PDF, or printed as booklets.
GrowTale creates social stories for children ages 2 through 14. Stories are automatically adapted to the child's developmental level: simpler language and friendly illustrations for younger children, more detailed narratives for older kids.
Yes. Over 100 illustrated social stories are completely free, and no account is required to read, download, or print them. When your child needs something more specific, a story about their exact challenge with their name and appearance, you create a personalized story using Story Credits. A single Story Credit costs $2.99. You only buy credits when you want to create. There is no subscription and no monthly fee.
A Story Credit is what you use to generate one personalized story featuring your child's name, appearance, and specific situation. Each credit costs $2.99 when purchased individually, or less in packs. Credits never expire. You keep every story you create in your library, as a downloadable PDF, and as a printable booklet.
Yes. Every story can be downloaded as a print-ready PDF booklet. Simply fold the pages in half for an instant book. Many parents print one copy for home and one for school or therapy.
Yes. GrowTale stories are built on Carol Gray's Social Story methodology, using appropriate sentence types (descriptive, perspective, coaching) and maintaining the recommended ratio of descriptive to directive sentences.
Yes. While social stories were originally developed for autism, they are also effective for children with ADHD, anxiety, and other developmental differences. They help children understand expectations, manage emotions, and prepare for challenging situations.