Help, please. Social Story for getting a shot

Post Reply New Topic

The title says it pretty well. I am no good at writing social stories. I have to take the Sprout to his well-child check-up tomorrow, and he is scheduled for shots. He is freaked out by the idea. I told him it's like getting pinched, but he kept screaming that it was going to kill him.

I have the feeling that when they go for the shots that we're in for a screaming, hysterical fit no matter what, but I'd rather put that part off until we get to that part of the appointment, not the moment we get in the car to go to the appointment.

Something like this? (If you like it, feel free to edit it as it applies to your child. I am not to good at these, myself)

Going to the Doctor's Office

Sometimes I go to visit the doctor when I am sick.
Sometimes I go to visit the the doctor when I am well.
The doctor needs to examine me to make sure I am healthy.
The doctor takes my temperature and my blood pressure.
The doctor measures my height and weighs me.
I get my ears and vision checked, too.

Sometimes, I also need a vaccination.
The doctor vaccinates me to keep me healthy.
When I get my shots, I am less likely to be sick and I will be sick less often.
I don't like being sick and I want to be healthy.

I will try to be brave when it is vaccination time.
My mommy will give me a big snuggle.
The doctor will give me a sticker.
They will both be proud of me.

OK, here's my stab at it. Feel free to edit based on your particular situation.

Today, [name] has to go to the doctor. [name] needs to get a shot, to teach his body how to fight illness.

[name] gets into the car with mommy and daddy, and they all drive to the doctor's office. Lots of kids are going to see the doctor, so [name] has to wait his turn. [name] plays quietly with the toys in the waiting room.

Then it's [name]'s turn. The nurse calls out '[name]!'. [name] and his mommy and daddy go into the doctor's office.

The doctor gets [name] to sit on the bed, and he gets the needle ready. '[name], are you ready?' [name] says ready.

The doctor swaps [name]'s arm. It feels wet. 'Stay still, [name].' [name] stays still and waits for the doctor to give him his shot. [name] is scared, but he stays brave and doesn't move. The doctor pokes the needle in. It feels like a little pinch. Then the doctor pulls the needle out and puts a band-aid with a cotton ball on it. 'All done.' Good job, [name]!

[name] goes back to the waiting room. [name] gets a sticker. Then [name] goes home to play.

If your Sprout is really terrified of the possible pain of the shot and there's a good chance you're going to get a biting, kicking, screaming, wild-animal-type freakout reaction, I suggest you call and ask his doctor about using EMLA cream beforehand so that the shot is actually painless and you can tell him so.

EMLA cream is a lidocaine-type topical anesthetic that you apply to the skin under a tape-like bandage for (I think) 30-60 minutes before the injection.

There's a good KidsHealth article on it http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/ ... hots.html#

And another article that may help http://www.whattoexpect.com/child-vacci ... fears.aspx and this http://www.nncc.org/Health/immuniz_ks.html

I think, also, that he might want the truth: shots often hurt much more than a pinch. You might want to tell him that it will hurt, but it won't hurt forever - and I like the idea that he can squeeze your hand or finger as hard as he thinks it hurts you.

There's an old Sesame Street sketch about it, but they may be minimizing it more than is good for a literal child: http://www.sesamestreet.org/play#media/ ... d6ce72336d

Thank you, all.

Thank you for this question. My DS 11y/o had to go to the doctor today and had strep throat, both he and his sister got a shot. Dad said he had to hold him down (weight not force btw) to calm him enough to get a shot and not pull away b/c of panic and anxiety. This summer is pre7th grade immunizations which is four shots. I am not looking forward to that. I think we need some prep, so thank you all for these resources, thank you MiahClone for the question, and thanks for knowing I am not alone in this.

We had our appointment. He was freaking out this morning at the thought of going. We read the stories about 5 times. I looked up pictures of what the shots look like and of kids getting shots while being good about it to show him while reading the stories. We talked about that he could close his eyes and not look, and it was okay to be afraid. Then we took his favorite stuffed animal and two of its friends and acted out the story about waiting in the waiting room and getting the shot. We even put the bandaid on the favorite one. I thought it was doing no good at all, because he pretty much writhed and screamed and demanded we get the needle away from his toys and out of the room with him, and just generally freaked out.

I thought we were in for trouble when we headed toward the doctor's office, but we stopped at the comics shop on the way to pick up our comics that they pull for us, and he got to look around there for a while, and get distracted by it all. Then we got to the doctors office and he calmly told them he was there for shots, and that he was going to close his eyes and not look.

After all that, the doctor's office said they didn't have all the shots needed, so we have to make an appointment at the health department.

Oh brother, but at least the strategies did seem to help even though they didn't look like they were at first.

It is too bad they did not have them ,all and that he has to go through this again. I am glad he was so calm, though. That is really great!

We now have an appointment for next Friday. I'll see how it goes then.

Good luck!

Well, we got through the appointment. Wasn't as good as it was going for the checkup. He tried to punch the RN as we walked through the doors to the back. I held him tight and he didn't fight me, so at least no extra pain from that, but he screamed bloody murder during the shots and for about five minutes afterwards.

Anyway, we are done until he is 12. Yay! The other two did great with their 7th grade shots, even the oldest whose shots I had delayed a year, because he was so upset at the thought of getting them.

After we got home, the Sprout went to a neighbor's house with his brothers and hit another neighborhood boy in the head with a pogo stick, and an hour later sneaked out of our house (where he was stuck by himself due to being banned from the neighbor's house) and ran two blocks down the street by himself back to the boy's house, because he wanted, "someone to play with" His explanation for the hitting was, "I was tired of them not playing the way I said to play and I wanted him to just go away!" (His way of playing is that he scripts every action of every other person and he is the only winner ever). Some days it feels like we have such a vast long ways to go with him.

We had to hold my oldest (NT) down for a shot until he was 12 or so and to this day he will refuse a shot if he possibly can. He's 24 now. He also either throws up or faints when they have to take blood or start an IV, even if he's given them permission. It's a real phobia for some people and they never outgrow it.

_________________
I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
My forum is still there and everyone is welcome to come join as well. There is a private women only subforum there if anyone is interested. Also, there is no CAPTCHA.

The link to the forum is http://www.rightplanet.proboards.com