A social story for going to the doctor

A social story for going to the doctor follows the measurements: shoes off, the scale, the height wall, a cuff on the arm, and a stethoscope on the chest. The needle, when this visit includes one, is a separate guide: the needle guide. Keep this story on the measuring.

What the room asks a child to do

A clinic is a string of instructions from people a child does not know. Stand here. Open your mouth. The American Academy of Pediatrics says young children do better when you describe what they will see, hear, and feel, and when you pack a comfort item plus something quiet for the wait (visit tips). Nemours KidsHealth suggests notice ahead of time, plain words, and acting the steps out on a doll or a teddy: listening to the chest, checking ears (doctor visits). We checked both pages on October 30, 2026.

Leave out any step this office skips. Phone the desk about a cuff or a finger clip if you are not sure, and omit it until they confirm.

Shoes, scale, cuff, light

Shoes off, then the scale

I go to the clinic so the grown-ups can see how my body is growing.

I look at pictures until someone calls my name.

My shoes come off. I stand on the scale. It shows my weight. I may also stand against the wall so they can see my height.

Paper covers the table and crinkles when I move. A cuff may hug my arm and then release. That squeeze is the blood pressure check.

The clinician sets a stethoscope on my chest. The metal can be cold. A little light looks in my ears and my mouth. They may press my tummy or tap my knee.

A parent stays beside me. I can squeeze their hand or a small toy.

My shoes go back on. We leave.

Seven beats, one picture each. Photograph the clinic door, the scale, and the paper on the table. A drawing of a stranger in a white coat is less useful than the hallway your child will walk.

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Rehearse on the kitchen floor

Set a stuffed animal on a bathroom scale and announce the number. Crinkle a sheet of paper. Touch a spoon from the fridge to the bear's chest so cold metal is already familiar. Peek into the bear's ears with a flashlight.

Pack the night ahead: the comfort item, something quiet for the wait, and a snack afterward if you have already decided there will be one. Do not put a treat in the story unless it is in the bag.

Ask the desk for the earliest slot, or a quieter room, if waiting is the hard part. If your child will be examined on a lap, say so when you schedule, and put the lap in the story so the table is not a surprise demand.

Other printable boards are on the free tools page.

If worry is why you keep moving the visit, contact the office. This story helps a child picture the scale. It does not replace a slower visit when fear is blocking care.

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FAQ

What if my child will not get on the scale?

Ask whether a parent can hold them near it, or whether the office can skip weight this time. Put that workaround in the story. A scale should not be a fight the pages forgot to mention.

What if they will only be examined on a lap?

Many pediatricians will listen and look while a young child stays on a parent. Put "I can stay on a lap" in the story so the paper table is an option, not a test they can fail. Mention it to the desk when you schedule.

What changes on a sick day?

Change the opening. "I go because my ear hurts" is truer than "I go so they can see me grow." Keep the scale and the stethoscope if they will happen, and delete any step this illness skips.

What does the cuff feel like?

A hug that tightens, then lets go. It measures pressure and does not break the skin. Leave the cuff out when this visit will not use one. Children who have never felt it do better when the story names the squeeze ahead of the sleeve.