What happens in the story
Nia's family settles down for a picnic in the park. Then musicians start playing drums and a trumpet on the bandstand nearby. Nia covers her ears and points towards a quiet tree. Her dad notices, follows her gesture and offers the tree as a new spot. The family carries the picnic over together, and Nia chooses to stay in the quieter place.
The story models something many children need: a way to show that a place is too much, and adults who listen.
Who it's for
- Speech-language pathologists and AAC specialists working on requesting a change, a break or a quieter space.
- Autistic children and children with sound sensitivities, and the families who support them. The story is neurodiversity-affirming: it never asks a child to put up with discomfort.
- Teachers talking about how classmates might need different spaces.
- Parents preparing for busy outings such as parks, fairs or birthday parties.
Skills you can practise
- Expressing a need with gestures, words or a communication system.
- Noticing communication signals: what does Nia show with her hands?
- Cause and effect: the music started, so Nia wanted to move.
- Comparing places: near, far, louder, quieter.
- Sequencing six steps from problem to a comfortable solution.
A 10-minute session
- Look at the whole story together during a calm moment.
- Start with four cards: the picnic, the music, Nia pointing and the new spot.
- Notice Nia's signal. What does she show with her hands? Remember that we can't know exactly how someone feels from a face alone.
- Model the request ("quieter please", pointing, or the child's own system) without asking the child to imitate discomfort.
- Put all six cards in order and retell, focusing on how the family helped.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: compare the noisy picture with the quiet ending and ask what changed.
- Harder: invent another acceptable ending, such as leaving the park, using a familiar support like headphones or doing something else. Ask what Nia chooses, not what she must tolerate.
- Extend: make a personal "places I like" page with pictures of calm spots.
Try it at home
Talk about comfortable places during a calm time, and agree on a simple way to show "I need to move". Never create distressing sounds as an exercise, and always honour requests to pause or leave.
Pairs well with
- Rain Changes the Plan: an eight-scene story about adjusting when plans change.
- Picnic Prep: a gentle four-scene picnic routine.
- How to use story sequencing cards.