Parking Lot Safety Social Story for Teens and Young Adults

Help teens and young adults with autism, developmental disabilities, and other support needs learn how to stay safe in parking lots and community spaces using this functional, no-prep social story. Designed with clear visuals, structured language, and age-appropriate AAC symbols, this resource helps learners recognize hazards, follow safety rules, and make safe choices when walking near cars.

This real-world safety resource is ideal for community-based instruction, life skills programs, transition planning, and vocational settings.

Why Educators and Therapists Use This Resource

This social story teaches essential community and pedestrian safety skills, helping learners understand how to walk safely, stay alert, watch for moving vehicles, and follow adult or environmental cues in parking lots. Learners practice expected versus unexpected behaviors, identify unsafe situations, and learn what actions to take when something feels unsafe. These skills support independence, confidence, and safer participation in everyday community routines.

Resource Features

-Two social story versions (short and extended) for flexible instruction and differentiation

-Clear, age-appropriate visuals and AAC symbols designed specifically for teens and young adults

Help teens and young adults with autism, developmental disabilities, and other support needs learn how to stay safe in parking lots and community spaces using this functional, no-prep social story. Designed with clear visuals, structured language, and age-appropriate AAC symbols, this resource helps learners recognize hazards, follow safety rules, and make safe choices when walking near cars.

This real-world safety resource is ideal for community-based instruction, life skills programs, transition planning, and vocational settings.

Why Educators and Therapists Use This Resource

This social story teaches essential community and pedestrian safety skills, helping learners understand how to walk safely, stay alert, watch for moving vehicles, and follow adult or environmental cues in parking lots. Learners practice expected versus unexpected behaviors, identify unsafe situations, and learn what actions to take when something feels unsafe. These skills support independence, confidence, and safer participation in everyday community routines.

Resource Features

• Two social story versions (short and extended) for flexible instruction and differentiation
• Clear, age-appropriate visuals and AAC symbols designed specifically for teens and young adults
• Instruction focused on parking lot awareness, pedestrian safety, and safe decision-making
• Supports self-regulation, attention to surroundings, problem-solving, and perspective-taking
• Two 3×4 static AAC displays using Adaptive Ed Symbols
  • Functional safety communication (e.g., stop, wait, help)
  • Fringe vocabulary focused on parking lot rules and safety strategies

Included Activities

• WH questions (visual and open-ended)
• Yes/No comprehension questions
• Matching and memory activities
• Sentence strip practice
• Expected vs. unexpected behavior sorting task
• Coloring page
• Inferencing activities
• Predicting outcomes
• Perspective-taking questions
• Vocabulary word search
• AAC symbol displays for accessibility

Available Formats

• PDF for immediate use
• Editable Canva file to customize language, visuals, and layout
• Editable PowerPoint to adapt stories and activities for individual learners

Ideal For

• Community-based instruction and real-world safety practice
• Life skills and functional academic programs
• Transition and vocational education
• One-to-one or small group instruction
• Speech-language therapy
• Teaching pedestrian safety and community independence
• Instruction focused on parking lot awareness, pedestrian safety, and safe decision-making
• Supports self-regulation, attention to surroundings, problem-solving, and perspective-taking
• Two 3×4 static AAC displays using Adaptive Ed Symbols
  • Functional safety communication (e.g., stop, wait, help)
  • Fringe vocabulary focused on parking lot rules and safety strategies

Included Activities

• WH questions (visual and open-ended)
• Yes/No comprehension questions
• Matching and memory activities
• Sentence strip practice
• Expected vs. unexpected behavior sorting task
• Coloring page
• Inferencing activities
• Predicting outcomes
• Perspective-taking questions
• Vocabulary word search
• AAC symbol displays for accessibility