Handling the Urge to Run Away – Social Story for Safety & Self-Regulation

Some children experience the urge to run away from safe spaces, often due to sensory overload, frustration, excitement, or difficulty with impulse control. This can be especially common in children with autism, ADHD, or other developmental differences, making elopement (running away) a serious safety concern for parents, teachers, and caregivers.

This printable social story is designed to:
✔ Help children understand why running away is unsafe.
✔ Teach alternative strategies to manage the urge to run in a safe and appropriate way.
✔ Encourage children to ask for help instead of running when they feel overwhelmed.

Through first-person storytelling, engaging illustrations, and interactive activities, this social story guides children in learning how to stay safe and regulate their impulses.

This resource is ideal for:
✔ Preschoolers and early learners who are developing self-regulation skills.
✔ Children with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing challenges who need clear, structured guidance on staying in safe spaces.
✔ Parents, teachers, and therapists looking for an effective tool to help children understand safety rules and self-control techniques.

By reinforcing positive behavior and self-awareness, this social story empowers children to stay safe in various settings, whether at home, school, or in the community.

Product Details

• Format: Printable PDF
• Total Pages: 11
• Segments: 16 real-life scenarios teaching self-regulation and safety awareness.
• Features:
  ✔ Engaging illustrations to support understanding.
  ✔ First-person storytelling to help children relate to the lesson.
  ✔ 6 interactive activities that reinforce safety and self-regulation strategies.
  ✔ Simple, child-friendly language for easy comprehension.
  ✔ Scenarios include: managing excitement, frustration, sensory overload, asking for help, and practicing safe alternatives to running away.

This structured social story is a valuable tool for teaching impulse control, safety awareness, and emotional regulation to young children.

Educational Benefits

This social story provides a structured and engaging way to teach children how to manage the urge to run away and how to stay safe in different environments.

1. Teaches Safety Awareness & Impulse Control

✔ Helps children recognize why they may feel the urge to run away.
✔ Provides clear explanations of when and where running can be dangerous.
✔ Reinforces self-regulation strategies to help children pause and make safer choices.

2. Encourages Safe Alternatives to Running Away

Instead of running away, children are encouraged to:
✔ Take deep breaths and count to five.
✔ Use a calm-down strategy like squeezing a stress ball.
✔ Tell an adult when they feel the urge to run.
✔ Ask for a safe space to take a break instead of running.

3. Supports Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Special Needs

✔ Designed for children with autism, ADHD, and sensory processing challenges.
✔ Uses clear, structured lessons to make safety rules easy to understand.

4. Reinforces Learning with Interactive Activities

✔ Helps children practice and apply self-regulation techniques.
✔ Includes hands-on learning opportunities through discussions, role-playing, and drawing activities.

This step-by-step approach ensures that children internalize and apply these self-regulation strategies, leading to better safety awareness and improved emotional regulation.

Instructions for Use

This social story should be used consistently to help children develop better impulse control and safety awareness.

1. Read & Discuss the Story

• Read the story aloud with your child or student.
• Pause at key moments to ask reflection questions:
  "Why do we sometimes feel like running away?"
  "What can we do instead of running away?"
  "Who can we talk to when we feel overwhelmed?"

2. Use Real-Life Examples & Visual Cues

• Identify real-life moments when a child feels the urge to run and gently remind them of the social story.
• Use visual reminders like a "Stay Safe" chart in classrooms, homes, and therapy rooms.
• Create a safe space where the child can go when feeling overwhelmed instead of running.

3. Engage in Interactive Activities

• Use the six included activities to reinforce key strategies:
  ✔ Role-Playing Safe Choices – Practicing what to do instead of running away.
  ✔ "My Safe Plan" Chart – Creating a personal action plan for when the urge to run occurs.
  ✔ Social Scenario Matching – Identifying safe vs. unsafe choices.
  ✔ Calm-Down Countdown – Practicing self-regulation before responding.
  ✔ Comprehension Questions – Checking understanding of the story.
  ✔ Creative Activity – Drawing or role-playing positive choices.

4. Reinforce Positive Behavior Daily

• Model safe behavior in different situations.
• Praise positive choices when a child asks for help instead of running:
  "Great job telling me you needed a break instead of running away!"
  "I love how you used your calm-down strategy when you felt overwhelmed!"

Activities Using the Resource

This printable social story includes engaging, hands-on activities that reinforce self-regulation strategies and teach children how to stay safe when they feel the urge to run away.

1. "Safe vs. Unsafe" Sorting Activity

Objective: Help children understand which situations require staying put and when it's okay to move away safely.
✔ Materials: Printable sorting cards with different scenarios (e.g., "Playing in the park" vs. "Crossing the street alone").
✔ How to Play:

• Show different pictures of scenarios where a child might feel like running.
• Have the child sort the cards into two categories:
  ✔ Safe Choices (e.g., telling an adult before moving, holding hands in crowded places).
  ✔ Unsafe Choices (e.g., running into a street, wandering away in a store).
• Discuss why some choices are unsafe and what to do instead.

2. "What Should I Do?" Discussion Cards

Objective: Teach children how to make safe choices when they feel the urge to run away.
✔ Materials: Printable discussion prompt cards.
✔ How to Play:

• Read a scenario aloud (e.g., "You feel overwhelmed in a noisy place and want to run. What should you do?").
• Encourage the child to think and respond with a safe and appropriate solution.
• Reinforce positive thinking and self-control through guided discussion.

3. "Role-Playing Safe Choices" Exercise

Objective: Teach children how to stay in safe spaces and practice asking for help.
✔ Materials: No materials needed, just role-play.
✔ How to Play:

• Call out different situations where a child may want to run away (e.g., "Feeling scared in a new place," "Getting upset in a store").
• Have the child practice responding safely by:
  ✔ Asking an adult for help.
  ✔ Using deep breathing techniques instead of running.
  ✔ Going to a designated safe space instead of running away.
• Reinforce safe behavior with praise and encouragement.

4. "Calm-Down Countdown" Game

Objective: Teach children how to manage emotions before reacting impulsively.
✔ Materials: A visual countdown chart or fingers.
✔ How to Play:

• When a child feels the urge to run away, have them pause and count down from 5.
• With each number, they complete a calming action:
  5 – Take a deep breath.
  4 – Hug themselves or squeeze a fidget toy.
  3 – Look around to find a safe person (parent, teacher, caregiver).
  2 – Think about what they can do instead of running.
  1 – Use their words to ask for help.

5. "Draw & Describe" Creative Activity

Objective: Help children visualize and describe safe ways to handle the urge to run away.
✔ Materials: Paper and crayons.
✔ How to Play:

• Have the child draw a picture of themselves making a safe choice instead of running away.
• Ask them to describe their picture: "What safe choice did you make? How did it help?"

Conclusion

"Handling the Urge to Run Away – Social Story for Safety & Self-Regulation" is an engaging and structured way to help children:
✔ Understand when and why they feel like running away.
✔ Learn safe and appropriate ways to manage the impulse.
✔ Develop impulse control, emotional regulation, and self-awareness skills.

By using real-life scenarios, engaging illustrations, and structured activities, this printable social story helps children transition from running away to asking for help and making safe choices.

Instant download – Start using it today!
Perfect for home, school, and therapy sessions.