User Manual


Welcome to the **Autism Story Creator**, a simple and flexible tool for creating personalized **social stories** that help individuals understand and navigate everyday experiences.  

Each story is tailored to the information you provide, and you can refine or edit it anytime using the built-in AI chat.

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## 🔐 Create an Account First

Before you can begin using the Autism Story Creator, you’ll need to **create an account**.  
Sign up easily with your **Google account** or **email address**.

> 🪙 **Bonus:** You’ll receive **10 free credits** just for signing up — enough to create and edit your first stories.

Once logged in, your **credits**, **stories**, and **chat history** will all be saved to your account for future use.

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## 🚀 Getting Started

### 1. Fill Out the Form
- Enter details about the individual — their **name**, **interests**, and **relevant context**.  
- Add any specific challenges or topics the story should cover, such as *trying new foods*, *going to the dentist*, or *handling loud sounds*.

### 2. Press **Create Story**
- Click **Create Story** once your form is complete.  
- The AI will generate a story based on your input.  
- The story will appear in the **Story Window** for review and editing.

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## 🧩 Why Context Matters

The **quality of your story** depends greatly on the **context** you provide.  
The more details you include — such as what helps the person calm down, what situations are difficult, and what success looks like — the more accurate and supportive your story will be.  

For example, if you write:  
> “Alex gets nervous when plans change but feels better when told in advance.”  

The AI can craft a story that gently explains *why plans change* and *how Alex can prepare*, creating a more meaningful and relatable result.  

In short, **the story is only as personalized as the information you give it**. Over time, as you use the app and refine your stories, the AI begins to better understand your tone, preferences, and goals — leading to consistently improved results.

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## 🗂️ Story Storage and Privacy

Your stories are **securely stored** in your account and remain there **until you choose to delete them**.  
This not only allows you to revisit and edit them anytime — it also helps the AI write **better stories over time** by understanding your preferred tone, structure, and wording.  

> 🔒 Your data is private. Stories are never shared or used outside of your own account, and you’re always in control of what stays or is deleted.

Keeping your story history allows the system to **personalize future creations**, offering more natural, consistent results that reflect your ongoing preferences.

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## 🖼️ About Images

If you request **images** to support a story, results may vary depending on the topic and level of detail you provide.  
Some stories benefit from visual reinforcement, while others are clearer with text alone.  

The image generation tool is designed to **learn from use**, meaning results will improve as it better understands your preferences and the type of stories you create most often.

> 📷 Tip: The more context you include in your request (for example, “show a calm classroom” or “a child brushing teeth happily”), the more accurate your images will be.

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## 💬 Using the Chat Window

At the bottom of the page is a **chat window** where you can ask the AI to make adjustments, such as:

> “Make it shorter.”  
> “Add more emoji.”  
> “Change it to first person.”  
> “Simplify the language.”

Each edit request uses **1 credit**.

Your **chat history** remains visible so you can review previous edits or continue refining your story later.  
All chat sessions are saved for your convenience and can be revisited anytime.

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## 💳 Purchasing Credits

Credits are required each time you create or modify a story.  
You can purchase additional credit packs securely through **Stripe**.

> ⚠️ **Important Note:**  
> During checkout, your payment receipt or statement may list **Pickaxe**.  
> Pickaxe is the trusted hosting and payment gateway service behind the Autism Story Creator.  
> All payments made through Stripe are secure and encrypted.

Credits **roll over**, so unused credits will always remain available in your account.

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## 📋 Copying and Saving Your Story

To save your story, simply **copy and paste** it into your preferred text editor or word processor.

### ✨ Windows Shortcut Keys
- **Ctrl + A** → Select all text  
- **Ctrl + C** → Copy selected text  
- **Ctrl + V** → Paste text elsewhere (Word, Notepad, Google Docs, etc.)

### 🍎 macOS Shortcut Keys
- **⌘ + A** → Select all text  
- **⌘ + C** → Copy selected text  
- **⌘ + V** → Paste text elsewhere (Pages, TextEdit, Notes, etc.)

Once pasted, you can format, print, or store your story however you prefer.

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## 🗣️ Optional — Read Aloud

Some users prefer to **read stories aloud** directly from the screen.  
That’s perfectly fine — stories are written conversationally and may include emojis or visual cues to support engagement and comprehension.

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## 💡 Tips for Best Results

- Be **specific** when filling out the form: include what helps, what causes stress, and what success looks like.  
- Use **clear, direct instructions** when chatting with the AI — for example:  
  “Add more detail about school mornings,” or “Make it sound friendlier.”  
- Save your favorite versions locally to build a personal story library.  
- Credits roll over, so you can always return later to continue where you left off.  
- Your **stories and chat history** are stored securely and help improve personalization over time.  
- Providing **richer context** improves future stories and helps the system learn your style.  

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## ❤️ Thank You

By using the **Autism Story Creator**, you’re helping make communication clearer and more supportive.  
This tool empowers individuals, caregivers, and educators to create meaningful, personalized learning stories — one experience at a time.


Markdown section

🧩 Autism Story Creator — User Manual

Welcome

Hero

Welcome to Autism Story Creator

Create personalized **Social Stories** designed to help individuals understand and navigate everyday life experiences. Styled after Carol Gray’s original method, each story is calm, clear, and respectful — written in everyday language that builds confidence and understanding.

BrightPath, the built-in caregiver assistant, is available to help parents and caregivers with guidance on tone, phrasing, and how to use each story effectively.

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## 🌟 Features

### Guided Story Builder
Answer a few simple questions about the person and situation. You’ll receive a personalized draft Social Story that’s easy to edit or adjust.

### Caregiver Support with BrightPath Chat
BrightPath offers practical coaching and emotional support for caregivers and parents. It helps fine-tune your story for clarity and compassion.

### Private by Design
Stories stay private until you choose to share them. Your edits and history are saved securely so you can refine and build over time.

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## 🚀 How It Works

1. **Create Your Account**  
   Go to [autismstorycreator.com](https://autismstorycreator.com) to sign up with Google or your email address. You’ll receive **10 free credits** to get started.

2. **Fill Out the Quick Form**  
   Provide a few details: the name, situation, and desired outcome. The AI will generate a first draft for you.

3. **Refine with BrightPath**  
   BrightPath helps you adjust tone, simplify phrases, and explore how to introduce the story in real life.



Sign up anytime at [autismstorycreator.com](https://autismstorycreator.com) — no credit card required for free account.

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## ❓ Frequently Asked Questions

### What is a Social Story?
A Social Story is a short narrative that explains a situation or event in a way that builds understanding and confidence. It describes what’s happening, what to expect, and how to respond.

### Who is BrightPath?
BrightPath is your built-in assistant — a friendly guide for parents and caregivers to help shape effective, empathetic stories.

### Do my stories stay private?
Yes. Your stories are stored privately and can be deleted anytime. Nothing is shared unless you choose to share it.

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## ✨ Get Started

Visit [autismstorycreator.com](https://autismstorycreator.com) to log in or sign up and create your first Social Story today.

🌟 Welcome to Social Story Creator

Pickaxe listing

Our products

Please sign-up for free account to take it for a test run. Otherwise please purchase one of the plans.

Autism Story Creator

A sophisticated tool to assist in writing formal letters to politicians.

Formal Letter Writer to Politicians

autismstorycreator.com is an AI assisted social story writing tool.

Social Story Narrative Creator

BrightPath is a compassionate guide for parents and caregivers of neurodivergent and autistic children. It offers calm, non-judgmental support and practical, research-based strategies to help families grow, connect, and thrive together.

BrightPath

Guest

Free trial for AI assisted social story creation. (includes 10 credits)

Free trial

AI assisted social story creator. 250 credits included each month. Includes BrightPath AI adviser.

AI Social Narrative Creator Monthly

25 credits to create social stories. Approximately 1 story generation per credit. Each revision costs 1 credit.