Social Skills Teacher Resources
Find Social Skills lesson plans and worksheets
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How To Be Socially and Emotionally Intelligent
Teach your elementary aged learners how to emotionally and socially intelligent. Use the resources in this collection to enhance social skills, teach youngsters to stand up against bullies, accept others, and provide ways for dealing...
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Social & Emotional Learning in Elementary School: Social Awareness
Fourteen resources covering empathy, respect, diversity, and perspective-taking make up a collection designed to encourage social and emotional learning. Geared towards kindergarten through fifth grade, young scholars take part in lesson...
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Social & Emotional Learning in Middle School: Self-Management
Self-management requires impulse control, stress management, self-disciple, motivation, and the ability to set goals and organize. Browse this collection to boost these skills among sixth through eighth-graders. Included are sixteen...
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Equality & Human Rights Commission: Secondary Lesson Plans
A collection of 12 instructional activities helps young people develop the five core social and emotional learning competencies identified by CASEL. Videos, slides, activities, games, news articles, and discussions target life skills. In...
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Social & Emotional Learning in Elementary School: Relationship Skills
A collection emphasizes the importance of relationship skills including communication, social engagement, relationship-building, and teamwork. Sixteen resources are geared towards scholars in kindergarten through fifth grade. Resource...
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Social & Emotional Learning in High School: Relationship Skills
Building strong relationship skills is one important part of social and emotional learning. Working in book circles, as lab partners, research teams, and project-based learning groups requires a specific set of relationship skills. The...
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Social & Emotional Learning in Middle School: Relationship Skills
The 21st century has brought many changes. Helping middle schoolers develop the relationship skills they need to be successful at home, in school, in their communities, and in the workplace is the focus of this collection of lesson and...
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Dealing with Dilemmas: Upstanders, Bystanders and Whistle-Blowers
There are upstanders, bystanders, and whistle-blowers when it comes to dealing with dilemmas. The four lessons in this unit module ask young scholars to think about injustice and how to resolve difficult situations. Learners research...
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Social & Emotional Learning in High School: Social Awareness
Perspective-taking, empathy, appreciating diversity, and respect for others are the hallmarks of the self-awareness social and emotional competency. In this collection you will find lesson and unit plans, projects and activities, videos...
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Social & Emotional Learning in Middle School: Social Awareness
Self-awareness includes looking at different perspectives, exhibiting empathy, appreciating diversity, and respecting others—boost these social and emotional attributes using a collection designed for scholars in sixth through eighth...
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Peacebuilding Toolkit for Educators - Middle School Edition
Rather than just talking about giving peace a chance, with the 15 resources in this collection middle schoolers learn the skills they need to become peace builders. The lessons were developed by the United States Institute of Peace...
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Teaching Children with Autism—Content Area Resources
Browse a collection designed to meet the needs of scholars with autism in kindergarten through 12th grade. Here, you'll find a variety of resources—lesson plans, printables, activities, worksheets, and an app—spanning a range of content...
EngageNY
EngageNY Grade 9 ELA: Module 3, Unit 1
Temple Grandin describes how autism allows her to have a unique perspective into the world of animal behavior with her book Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior. Ninth graders take notes and...
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How to Play Baseball a Social Skills Lesson
Team sports are quite social; they involve following rules, playing cooperatively, communication, taking turns, and interpersonal relations. Introduce your special education class to the all-American sport of baseball. They learn about...
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How Are My Social Skills?
An outstanding activity on social skills is here for you. This four-page activity poses 25 skills for learners to consider, and rate themselves on using a 1 - 5 scale. At the bottom of the sheet, they must choose five skills they feel...
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Social Skills
Every culture has a set of social skills one must learn to establish and maintain relationships. Some of these skills are particular to a culture and some are universal. Class members practice using appropriate language, polite manners,...
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Social Skills Treatment Programme
Even though they may not be tested on standardized assessments, social skills are vital for students to develop during their years in school. Through a series of discussions, activities, and role-playing exercises, these lessons teach...
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Make a Social Skills Superhero Comic Book
Get creative as you teach a lesson on positive peer and social interactions. Discuss good social interactions through a scenario, brainstorm a positive response to the scenario, then creat a comic book superhero that exemplifies the...
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Social Skills For Autism
Designed for pupils with special needs, such as autism, this lesson calls for learners to practice saying hello to others. The teacher begins by modeling the behavior she expects and practicing with each pupil before pairing learners...
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Social Skills Card Game
Encourage social skills including listening, speaking, and taking turns with a card game that challenges scholars to discuss topics and summarize in groups of four.
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"When I Can Scream" Social Skill Story
Sometimes it is okay to scream and sometimes it is not. This 18-slide presentation shows kids when to use a loud, outside voice and when to use a quiet inside voice. Customized this social skills story by inserting the child's name and...
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Emotions and Social Skills
Kindergarteners discuss emotions and social skills as the start to this lesson. Then they demonstrate what emotions they feel while participating in a role play. This lesson plan also calls for group work in which learners show...
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More Tools for Teaching Social Skills in School
Put an end to wasted instructional time with this lesson on responsibility and preparedness. After completing this series of activities students will learn the importance of these social skills not only in the classroom, but at home and...
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"Decorating Easter Eggs" Social Skill Story
Prepare kids for Easter egg decorating with a social skills story that explains the process and details appropriate behavior for the activity.
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Game Related Social Skills
Most of us like to play games, but knowing what to do when a game doesn't go the way one expects is a learned skills. Adolescents with behavioral disorders practice responding to a variety of situations that arise during game play. They...
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101 Ways to Teach Children Social Skills
Increasing pressure to improve student achievement has made it easy to overlook the social skills they also need to develop. With this collection of worksheets and activities, you'll be able to improve children's communication, teamwork,...
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"Going to Visit Santa" Social Skill Story
Prepare learners with autism for a visit to Santa Claus with this social skill story that tells them what to expect, as well as explains how they should behave
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"Getting Presents at Christmas" Social Skill Story
Here's a social skills story about getting presents at Christmas. Not only does the story explain what to expect, but also details appropriate behaviors when opening and receiving gifts.
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"What to Expect at Christmas" Social Skill Story
Holidays are less stressful if we know what to expect. Here's a social skills story that prepares learners with autism for the change in routines that holidays bring.
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Three Anti-Social Skills to Improve Your Writing
"What?" she said. "That video just told me to eavesdrop, get to know imaginary people, and talk to myself. Interesting." It's all for a good cause, though! These three techniques will help your young writers improve their fictional...
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Opening Presents at a Party: A Social Story
Everybody has a birthday, for some children with autism, it can be a source of anxiety. Prepare your special needs or Autistic pupil for his birthday celebration with this social story. The story can be printed out, put into book form,...
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Adapted Sorry Board Game
Board games are great for building social skills and for fostering recreation and leisure skills! Here, you'll find an image and a brief description of how you can make a tactile version of the game Sorry for your blind or low-vision...
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Communication, Day 2: Assertiveness
Having social skills and being able to assert yourself in a positive way is so important. Students with mild to moderate disabilities engage in a series of activities to practice assertive communication and social skills. Perfect for a...
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Private & Public
Some disabled students have a difficulty understanding what is and what is not publicly appropriate behavior. Help them build healthy social skills by defining public and private behaviors, labeling public and private places, and...
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Exploitation, Day 1: Touching
Developmentally Disabled students need to know they types of touch, appropriate touching, and their personal rights. They brainstorm types of touch, go over their personal rights, and discuss social skills. Very appropriate lesson plan...
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"Going on an Easter Egg Hunt" Social Skill Story
Easter egg hunts are the focus of this social skill story that lets kids know what to expect and establishes expectations for behavior as well.
PD Learning Network
Stand Up. . . Be InCtrl!
What is the difference between a bystander and an upstander? A collaborative project created through digital media helps the class understand that they can participate in an online community respectfully and responsibly. They consider...
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Listen, Remember, and Review
A lesson encourages positive peer interaction and enhances summarizing skills. As a class, scholars discuss the importance of listening alongside ways to better pay attention and remember information while tips and tricks are added to an...
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Playing "Pin the Tail on the Donkey": A Social Story
What is "Pin the Tail on the Donkey?" It's a game people play at parties. Prepare your Autistic pupil to play along by reading this social story. Each page contains rules of the game and what to expect. Playing games is a great way to...
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Puppet Friends
Learning how to be a good friend in school is a very important skill. Designed for young learners, the resource goes into social skills such as using good manners, taking turns, and being kind to people. Pupils use a paper bag and art...
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Speech/Language Scavenger Hunt
A good idea. To build both speech and social skills special ed students go on a scavenger hunt. They locate people around the school and say a series of words, when they say the words correctly they receive a prize. They also ask for...
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What to Expect on Valentines Day: A Social Story
Valentine's Day is fun and exciting for most members of your class, but for learners on the autism spectrum, it can be disorienting. A social story demonstrates what one can expect on Valentine's Day. It explains what happens on...
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Social Skills Accepting "No"
When you are a kid, sometimes a grownup is going to tell you "No." You can respond in a couple of different ways... Learners discover how one youngster suggests how to approach hearing the word No from an adult in this quick one-minute...
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Behavior Picture Cards
Teach the dos and don'ts of behaviors with a set of picture and word cards. From a do not hand signal to no pinching action, class members enhance social skills while learning appropriate behaviors.
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Game template
Playing games can be a fun way to learn social engagement skills. This is nothing more that a 11 block game template, but it can be used with special needs or Autistic children to foster social skills. They will need to follow...
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Game Level 6
Game board level 6, as it is called, will help your special-needs child build social skills. Print this simple game used it in any number of ways to fit your students'curricular or social needs. There are eleven squares to play with.
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Game Board: Level 0
Sitting still, taking turns, playing games are all highly valuable social skills. Help the Autistic or special needs child in your class practice these skills one step at a time. This "game board" contains only 5 squares so is perfect...
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You've got a friend in me
It can be hard for anyone to make a new friend and particularly if you have a special need or disability. To build social skills and make new friends they watch videos related to friendship. Everyday they meet up for friendship club...
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"Visiting Family at Christmas" Social Skill Story
Holidays bring their own special joys and stresses. Prepare learners on the autism spectrum for Christmas family get togethers using this social story that not only lets them know what may happen, but also details how they should behave.
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Teaching Social Skills, Creating Successful Students “Following Instructions” and “Listening”
With the help from learning games and holiday-themed coloring pages, scholars learn the importance of listening carefully and following directions. Coloring pages celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving. Learning games include Simon...
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"Saying "Hello" to People" Social Skills Story
Support learners who may be very shy or reserved in saying "hello" to new people with this set of story slides. The presentation begins with a few slides describing why it is good to greet others, and concludes with opportunities to...
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"Other People Can Be First" Social Skills Story
Remind learners that sometimes other people might like to be first to answer questions, drink from the water fountain, get to the classroom, and other common daily events. This resource includes nine story slides of visuals and simple...
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"When Mom is on the Phone" Social Skills Story
How should youngsters act when their parents are on the phone? Using the story slides in this resource, your learners will discover the importance of not interrupting a parent's phone call and how to whisper or play with toys quietly.
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"Saying 'No, Thank You'" Social Skills Story
Teach learners to use polite words when they do not want something, rather than being rude or aggressive, using these simple presentation slides. The presentation walks students step by step through what it means to say "No, thank you,"...
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Application Skills, Job Hunting, Social Skills/Cooperation
Students recognize vocabulary necessary for applying for a job, fill out a job application and provide personal information necessary for applying for a job. They spell the names of references and tell ways of networking to improve job...
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Anti-Bullying Efforts in the Elementary Classroom
Help prevent bullying from ever beginning with these simple strategies for implementing class meetings.
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Emotion Card Games
Emotions come in all shapes and sizes, and can be difficult for young learners or students with special needs to identify. Support them in gaining the valuable social skill of recognizing emotions and understanding empathy with this...
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Create a Safe Antibullying Environment in the Classroom
Helping children understand their own feelings and reactions is the first step toward building empathy and combating bullying behaviors. Using cards with characters and relevant questions on them, conduct a group discussion about...
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Smart T
Students analyze social skills and how they can demonstrate and emulate positive social behaviors. In small groups they complete a T-chart that lists what a selected social skill "looks like" and "sounds like," and write an essay on...
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Keystone Class Technology/Study Skills Unit
Eighth grade students take a study skills class aimed at increasing social skills and improving achievement. Students illustrate their individual interests and future goals. Skills are reinforced by using the same tools for study and...
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Play Fair
Students discover how to play fair. In this social skills lesson, students read Clifford's Sports Day and discuss ways to play fair. Students practice playing games fairly.
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Buggy Rides
Students go for a buggy ride. Each of them have a chance to be a rider and a horse. They need to tell their "horse" when to begin pulling by saying "giddy-up." students work together and use appropriate social skills
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Activity Plan Mixed Ages: A Funny Hat Show
Students create unique hats. In this early childhood lesson plan, students engage in a group celebration to foster social skills, creativity, and fine- and gross-motor development as they put on a funny fashion show with the hats they...
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Activity Plan 4-5: Plant a Salad Garden
Students grow gardens. In this early childhood lesson plan, students develop science concepts, language, and social skills as they work together to plant a container vegetable garden. Students document the experience by using digital...
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Responsible Abbie, Responsible Me
Students develop their social skills and learn what it means to be responsible. In this responsibility lesson, students read a book about the topic, discuss the book, and list reasons why to act responsibly. Students work in groups to...
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Emotional Intelligence
Provide teenagers with the social skills they need to live happy lives with this collection of worksheets and activities. Covering a variety of topics from self-awareness and assertiveness, to stress management and problem solving, this...
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"Going to Church on Easter" Social Story
The social skills story, "Going to Church on Easter," lets kids know what they might expect and how they might be expected to behave at a church service.
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All About Me Wearable Signs
But enough about me....Help youngsters develop a fundamental social skill in recognizing what others enjoy talking about. Learners draw pictures and write words to describe their interests and what they enjoy discussing, and wear their...
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Missing Objects Game
Help students learn how to encourage others using kindness and supportive words with this social skills game. Designed for learners on the autism spectrum, students practice using encouragement phrase prompts while another works to...
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Getting to Know Me
As learners engage in the five hands-on and collaborative learning experiences in this unit, they will work on developing a sense of identity and acceptance of self, extending their social skills, and building positive self-esteem.
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And Today's Guest Star Is...
High schoolers explore correct social behaviors. In this social skills lesson, students take turns modeling correct social behaviors in various settings. High schoolers write text for a social story and share them with the class.
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December: We All Want to Feel Included
Second graders discuss bullying, empathy and making friends. In this social skills lesson, 2nd graders read a story and have a class discussion on what it means to be empathetic, how to be a good friend and how strong friendships and...
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Kids Bullying Kids
Students discuss bullying. In this social skills instructional activity, students take a survey regarding times they have been bullied and then discuss the results.
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Yes We Can! Students with Autism & Down-Syndrome on the Drums!
To learn about various topics and improve their social skills, learners with special needs play along with music on drums and other sound objects. Teachers take digital pictures of the students participation and use them to make bulletin...
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Bullying Can Be Stopped—7th Grade
Help stop bullying and encourage learners to speak up! Discuss the definitions of bullying and when to approach an adult for help. Objectives and definitions are laid out followed by discussion procedures. A handout includes hypothetical...
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Developing Dialogue
Why do people argue? Use the article "A Holiday Medley, Off Key" to discuss the struggles that interfaith couples face when choosing to celebrate certain holidays. Then, in small groups, encourage learners to write dialogues that...
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I Like To Sing
Aaron and Nick Carter discuss the importance of getting along. They describe ways they work together. One of the things they love to do is sing. By singing together, they show how it feels to cooperate and get along. This is an important...
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As The World Takes Turns
In this riveting episode of As the World Takes Turns, Telly and Zoe learn to take turns. Often times as teachers, we are required to assist more than one child, and those who are waiting need to learn the importance of being patient and...
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Kids Talk About First Time
Children talk about the first time they did something and how it felt. They discuss the importance of practicing and perseverance when learning a new skill. It's important that learners know from an early age that people aren't born...
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Tuba And Drum: Cooperation
Telly and Elmo have to figure out a way to work together so that they can play their instruments at the same time. Elmo wants to play his drum and Telly wants to play his tuba. Eventually, they realize that they can cooperate by playing...
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Social Skills: Anger Management, Recognizing Anger
Students recognize the emotion of anger. They complete a writing journal and record the feelings of anger as they occur. The teacher models anger, and presents new skills of dealing with anger as the lesson evolves.
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Self/Social
Body language, our perception of others, and how to make a better impression socially are the focus topics for this lesson, which is part of a 23-lesson series on building important life skills. Learners complete a questionnaire on...
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Social Cards
Explore social isolation with learners and how to begin building important social skills with a dice and discussion activity. After rolling a particular number on a die, students then respond to an associated social card in which they...
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Reciprocal Conversation
Keep the conversation going with a social skills activity. Designed for learners with autism, the lesson guides peers through the back-and-forth of a conversation, encouraging them to wait their turn before responding.
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Opening Day Activities
Use these opening day activities for the first day of your physical education classes. Set the tone, get your class moving around, and have them talk to each other! There are a couple of activities to help you and your classes get started.
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Having a Birthday Party: A Social Story
Birthdays can be a stressful time for children with Autism. Get your special needs or Autistic pupil ready to party with this social story. Each page contains party images and text explaining what to expect during a birthday party. Share...
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Going to a Birthday Party: A Social Story
What happens when we go to a Birthday Party? Lots of different things! Share what goes on, what to expect, and how to socially interact with your Autistic or special needs pupils. Each page lets children know what they will see and what...
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Communication Monitoring
Monitor your learners' progress with social skills and appropriate social behavior. Split into four categories (social behaviors, communication behaviors, play behaviors, and inappropriate behaviors), the resource prompts educators to...
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How Does a Friend Act?
Two puppets showcase social skills while scholars decide whether their actions are positive or negative. Learners take turns with the puppets, acting out scenarios with a peer while the rest of the class decide if they're being a good...
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Relationships, Day 5: Acquaintances & Strangers
It is important for special needs learners to know the differences between acquaintances and strangers. They define the world helper, acquaintance, and stranger then discuss a scenario based case study.They talk about touch and no touch,...
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Playing Pinata at a Party
What is a Pinata and why is every body hitting it with a stick? Prepare your Autistic child for a common birthday activity that may be slightly over-stimulating. This printable book explains what a pinata is and how it is used at a...
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How Interesting Is It?
Discussing topics that other people are interested in is a key social skill that can often be overlooked. Here is a resource that supports learners in developing this life skill by first prompting them to consider a wide range of...
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Language Experience Stories
Here is a great way to bring core content to your special education classroom. Included is a set of instructional ideas intended to help learners increase their verbal and written expression through storytelling. Tape recorders, story...
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Waiting Your Turn to Speak
Have you ever been so excited to talk that you interrupted another person? Help young conversationalists wait their turn to speak with a social skills activity.
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The Power of Active Listening
New ReviewListen up! The game of Telephone launches a study of active listening. Class members watch a short video that demonstrates active listening and tips on practicing active listening. Pairs then interview each other and practice their...
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Relationships, Day 1: Self-Esteem
Expose your secondary special education class to the importance of belonging and feeling accepted. They define self-esteem, pride, and appreciation. Then create a self collage and share what they like about themselves with the class. A...
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Relationships, Day 4: Friendships & Dating
It is so important to help special needs individuals know the difference between dating and friendship. They define friendship, differentiate between friends and strangers, role-play, practice greetings, then talk about dating. This...
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Communication, Day 3: Asking What You Want
Mild to moderately disabled secondary high schoolers practice asking for what they want. They discuss a scenario, list things they want, then practice asking for those things. Our special needs students need to know how to communicate...
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Green Zone Common Ground Conversation Starter Worksheets
Finding common ground and building conversation can often prove a difficult task for many. Help learners build this important social skill using this resource, which includes a Venn diagram activity and sentence prompts to help students...
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Photo Cartoons: How To Give A Compliment
Help learners develop the ability to offer appropriate, meaningful compliments to others—an essential social skill. Here you'll find a quick photo cartoon illustrating a right and wrong way to give a compliment, as well as a brief...
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Give Compliments!
Learners practice the important social skill of offering appropriate compliments in a variety of situations! Pupils match photographs of particular events that call for a compliment with an appropriate compliment from a list provided in...
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Silly to Serious Cards and Panels
What are the unwritten rules of formality in different social situations? Help learners identify when it is the appropriate time to be silly, funny, or serious with this collection of illustrated panels and cards.
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"When I Feel Angry" Social Skill Story
Here's a presentation that shows kids appropriate ways to behave when they are feeling angry. They learn how to identify when they are feeling angry, calming strategies they can use, and words they can use to express their anger. The...
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Your Friends in School: Part 2
Making friends is an important social skill. Talk about the importance of friendship, what makes a friend, and friends found in the classroom. This presentation includes an activity where kids pair-up to make a picture for the class...
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Clever Conversations Game
Build social and conversation skills with a fun game! Special needs and children with autism can play this game to practice asking friendly questions and giving appropriate responses. After playing, have them ask one person a friendly...
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Finding My Pathway
Eighth graders engage in a lesson plan that is concerned with the acquiring of skills necessary to make informed career choices. They examine the type of language that should be acquired for communication in the workplace. They also have...
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Helping Others
Teach the skills, phrases, and responses necessary to help another person. Your autistic learner will practice specific phrases and responses in simulated situations where an adult or peer needs assistance. The exercise includes helpful...
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Personal/Social Development
Many teenagers dream of growing up to work in health and safety fields; give them some real-world insight using this research lesson. Although there are just the basics here, you can easily use them as an outline for an engaging career...
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Language Arts Skills: Listening and Speaking Strategies
Your class can practice communicating clearly. They practice listening and speaking through games such asTelephone and a social scavenger hunt. This is a solid lesson that helps apply good communication skills.
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Wearing Green on St. Patrick's Day: A Social Story
Intended for kids with autism, this set of slides shows different characters wearing different pieces of green clothing for St. Patrick's Day. As suggested, use this to reinforce clothing vocabulary.
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When I Can Scream
Is there a time or place when screaming is okay? Sometimes it's appropriate to be loud, other times it's not. Help your learner with autism determine when screaming is appropriate. This well-written story can be fully customized to fit...
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Spring Break Social Skill Story
Changes in routines can prove to be difficult for all kids, but especially for autistic learners. Here's a story designed to prepare kids for the change in schedule brought on by spring break.
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Communication, Day 5: Saying "No"
There are many ways to say, no. Secondary special needs students need to know when and how to say no when they feel they are in an uncomfortable situation. They sign, say, and role-play how to say no. Worksheets and role-playing cards...
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When I Feel Angry
Everybody feels angry sometimes, and it can be hard to know how to handle such a big emotion. This story was written with a learner with autism in mind. It provides clear guidelines the child can follow when he is feeling upset or angry....
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Waiting While Riding in the Car
Traffic and stop lights can be a bother for even the most patient person, but when you have autism, that extra time spent in a hot car can be a real nuisance. Here is a great story that addresses the need to be patient while waiting or...
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Leisure Game Skills
It's fun to play games, but sometimes it can be hard to know how. Here is an instructional activity intended to teach severely disabled learners how to engage in a fun leisure activity, such as playing checkers or croquet. They'll...
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Interrupting
Everybody loves to contribute to the conversation, but it needs to be done politely so as not to interrupt. Help your little ones learn how to add to a conversation appropriately with a few activities that complement the book, My Mouth...
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Sexual Education Assessment Tool: Special Education
The FLASH program in Seattle has put together a set of questions for special education classes covering sexual education. Some of the topics include appropriate, inappropriate, self-esteem, puberty, hygiene, reproduction, and sexually...
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Exploitation, Day 2: Exploitation and Getting Help
Exploitation is a real issue for the disabled community. Secondary Special Education students learn what exploitation is, their personal rights, and how to say no. They focus on finding a trusted adult to get help if they have been taken...
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HIV/AIDS & Other STDs, Day 1: Germs & Risk
Assist your secondary special education class for understanding risky behavior, hygiene, and STDs. The class discusses how germs spread, how people get sick, and what needs to be done to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. They...
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Learning Skills
Second graders role-play in a variety of different academic and social situations. In this social skills lesson plan, 2nd graders identify specific skills needed to succeed at home, in school, and out in the community.
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Friends for All
Students explore methods to make friends. They practice social skills, such as good manners. Students discuss characteristics of a good friend. Students create a puppet and use it in a role play situations.
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Model Me Going Places 2
Social stories are wonderful teaching tools specifically designed for learners with Asperger's, autism, PDD-NOS, non-verbal learning disabilities, or other developmental disabilities. They are used to model appropriate social behaviors...
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Self-Control Meters for Volume, Space and Levels of Formality
If your pupils have difficulty producing the appropriate voice volume in various settings or respecting personal space, refer to this "control-o-meter" device. This resource includes materials to create three meters for you to clearly...
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Visual Think Sheet
Support learners in understanding how their actions can affect themselves and others with this visual think sheet. It includes a collection of images representing some bad choices youngsters can often make, and walks them through...
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Video Social Studies
Students write a social story. In this social story lesson plan, students write a social story which addresses a specified social skill or behavior. They write the story following the format that is given at an Internet link. They read...
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Being Responsible
First graders focus on the social skill of responsibility. They observe different social situations in order to acquire behaviors as they are modeled by others. Students identify items that are acceptable for borrowing or loaning, and...
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Be a Good Friend
Students discover characteristics of a good friend. In this social skills lesson, students read Clifford's Manners and discuss ways Clifford used his manners in the story. An activity that rewards students for modeling being courteous...
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Caring
Students investigate the concept of developing the social skill of caring for others and self. The activity includes a silent time of reflection on how one can care. Then students read a story that illustrates the concept of caring and...
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I Will Not Let You Down
Fourth graders investigate the social skill of honesty and trust. They diagram how the two are related and participate in class activities in order to strengthen cognitive connections of how honesty and trust are related. The lesson...
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The Choices You Make
In this social studies instructional activity, students examine each question and make a choice. For example, they are asked about spending the day with their mom or spending the day with a friend for a fun-filled trip. Then they write...
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It Is All About Love
Students engage in a lesson plan that is concerned with developing the social skills of loving others in constructive ways. They participate in the reading of a story that illustrates the concept of love and its application. Then...
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P.E. Bees
Students practice positive social skills and manners in this short lesson that is used to start each session of P.E. class. They identify a positive behavior, such as be on time, written on a bee cutout pasted among others on the gym...
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The Social Skill of Communication
Fifth graders explore communication by analyzing manners. In this social skills lesson, 5th graders review the different forms of communication and how to present yourself in a phone conversation, face to face meeting, e-mail, etc....
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Sneetches
Students engage in a lesson that uses guided questions in order to help create cultural awareness among students. The use of gender is considered and the students reflect upon the answers of questions to learn social skills.
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Total English Elementary: Why Don't We...?
For this social skills practice worksheet, students list 3 ways to make a suggestion, respond to 2 questions regarding how one answers the telephone, read a telephone dialogue with a partner, and record information their partner gives to...
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Meet Someone Who?
In this social skills worksheet, learners find other students in their class who meet the different category on the worksheet. For example: like to swim, has shoes with laces, etc. Learners are given pictures to help which makes this...
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What's Your Problem?
Students role play giving advice. In this social skills lesson, students work in teams to offer advice and suggestions. Students give each other advice and the class attempts to determine the problem. Resources are provided.
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Social Competence
Intended for adults with special needs, but appropriate for upper graders as well, this activity encourages appropriate interpersonal communication. They practice responding to various situations in a role play setting. The lesson...
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Sense of Hearing
Create a graphic organizer to review parts and systems of the body, then present a new topic. Special education learners grades 3-5 learn about the sense of hearing. They draw parts of the ear, sign a song, read Perk Up Your Ears, and...
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Birthday Visual Schedule
Visual schedules can really help an autistic or special-needs child cope with a social event. Focused on birthdays, this resource helps learners know what to expect and what comes next at a birthday party. Additional suggestions are...
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The Valentine Train
Read and explain the social norms that define Valentine's Day. Your Autistic pupil will hear about Travis the Train, as he goes through the town delivering Valentine cards to all his friends. This is a great resource for talking about...
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Everyone Loves a Compliment
Learners practice differentiating compliments from other types of comments in a list of seven statements on this social skills worksheet.
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"Trick or Treat" Cards
Perfect for non-verbal learners, these Trick or Treat cards say thanks in a big way. Children with autism can hand this Happy Halloween thank you card to houses visited or can wear a big copy attached to their costume.
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Social Skills (Independence)
Third graders identify unacceptable social behaviors and then describe how to replace those behaviors with acceptable behaviors. They see that as individuals we are in charge of our bodies and minds, and therefore we choose our...
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Enhancing Social Skills and Vocabulary through Photography
Students in a special education classroom identify pictures of various living things. In groups, they role-play different roles to help them with their social and communication skills. To end the lesson, they take pictures of different...
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Social Behavior at Lunch and Dinner
Having appropriate behavior at special events, lunch, and dinner is key for all learners to master. Individuals with special needs are videotaped in several social settings, they watch and assess their own behavior in each setting in...
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A Newer, Better, Older Me
First graders engage in a lesson plan that is concerned with self-respect and interpersonal relationships. They create a character clover as an art project that lists positive character traits and specific attributes of strength. Then...
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Be a Problem Solving Star
Second graders investigate the skill of solving problems. They have class discussion about problem solving and identify the steps in settling conflicts. The strategies are demonstrated for application to problem situations and student...
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Happy, Sad, Scared And Mad: All Belong To Me
Students investigate the basic emotions that are experienced by human beings. They define and differentiate between the feelings of happiness, sadness, and anger. Students complete a feelings worksheet and look at images that represent...
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How Do I Act Like A Friend?
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the meaning of being a friend. They take part in a series of activities to define the meaning of friendship. Students are presented with scenarios and then role-play how to act to...
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Transitioning To Kindergarten: Life In Kindergarten
Students investigate Kindergarten and the different activities that are found there. They are introduced to the classroom and procedures with the help of a puppet show. Then students color in a worksheet that focuses around the...
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Goldilocks Revisited
Second graders investigate the story of "The Three Bears" while focusing on the character of Goldilocks. They answer key questions that are focused upon the development of positive feelings and reactions. Students discuss the possible...
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Middle School Here I Come!
Fifth graders engage in a lesson that is concerned with the transition to middle school with the help of the school counselor. They are taught about the requirements of changing to different classes throughout the day and practice...
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Freshmen Mentor Program: Meeting My Mentor
Students develop skills that address the transition from middle to high school. They take part in a series of activities that help them to become more comfortable in their new social setting.
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Teaching Game Play Concepts
Some children with autism need to be prepped prior to game play, and game play concepts need to be introduced and reinforced. This short yet informative article will help you know how to get the kids in your special ed class ready for...
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Big Feet/ Sharing Our Knowledge
Students investigate the concept of ownership of the community and being part of it. They conduct research about global ecology in order to make a presentation. The communication must be clear and brief to give information. The lesson...
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Choosing To Help Others
Students investigate how people should act socially responsible in the community. They aare given a scenario and then asked how they are supposed to act in the situation. Then students role play to make a compassionate and responsible...
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Character... My Foundation
Students participate in a lesson examining the concept of character and how it is the foundation of lasting human relationships. They examine character traits that are considered positive and then define the differences between...
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Listening
Introduce your young learners to some of the basic skills of listening, and getting along with others in this sociology PowerPoint. Pupils practice asking for help, asking for a favor, dealing with teasing and anger, and showing...
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Dangers of Labeling and Stereotyping
The content of this lesson is intended for a mature group. Participants imagine that they must decide which eight of fourteen people on a doomed cruise ship will be allowed to board the only life boat and survive. A list of passengers...
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Game Level 17
Sharing, taking turns, and playing games doesn't come naturally for all children. Those are skills that need to be fostered and practiced. Here is a very straightforward teaching tool intended to teach game playing and turn taking. You...
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Balloon Trolley
Students use a physical activity in order to improve hand eye coordination and teamwork. They stand close to each other with balloons between them and stay together without holding the balloons with hands. This requires trust and...
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Lyddie
Students investigate the character trait of perseverance and how it is used to help a girl gain independence in a fictional story. The story also has them think about the value of relationships and then write reflectively about...
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Who Wrote That?
Scholars creatively respond to writing prompts. They respond to writing prompts that reveal clues regarding their personalities and then use the prompts written in class to guess the prompts that belong to their classmates.
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Modern Day Pen Pals, Connecting Our Art Room to the Rest of the World!
Initiate an international pen pal program! After establishing communication with an art class in another country, groups share pod casts and video streams of their work. The scripted resource details how to prepare for the pod casts, but...
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Let’s Be Friends
Introduce positive social skills and friendship to young learners with this wonderfully designed eight-lesson unit. It includes several activities to help learners identify positive attributes, build empathy, and understand the qualities...
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Dealing with Peer Influence: What Are Bullying and Harassment?
Scholars examine examples of peer pressure and discuss how specific actions negatively affect one's well-being. Learners gather in small groups to write two scenarios in which peer pressure is used. They reference the STAR method in how...
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What to Expect on Halloween
Halloween is a wonderful and highly social holiday, it includes dressing up, meeting new people, and of course candy! However, for a child with autism, Halloween might be a holiday of stress and uncertainty. Prepare your students for the...
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Doing Random Acts of Kindness
Encourage scholars to perform random acts of kindness. A lesson challenges participants to choose a peer they wish to be kind to without them knowing. Learners list five good deeds and choose one to fulfill. Pupils reflect on the process...
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Song: Eye Contact When Greeting
When you say hello to someone, look at their eyes! Set to the tune of "When You're Happy and You Know It," this activity helps learners on the autism spectrum build a valuable social and conversational skill.
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Hierarchy of Skills
Learn about the steps used in listening with a list of skills. Sections are divided into detection, discrimination, identification, and comprehension, with details and and definitions in each category.
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Photo Cartoons: Being Polite
Have you ever been left out of plans your friends were discussing? This photo cartoon will help your learners recognize that being polite can go beyond just saying please and thank you by making sure others feel included and welcomed.
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Listening During a Conversation
What does active listening look like? Learners identify basic rules for listening carefully to others, such as maintaining eye contact and commenting appropriately, and then evaluate different examples of conversations on a worksheet to...
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Growing and Changing
Students practice interviewing skills. In this school newspaper lesson, students interview students in their school about what they want to be when they grow up. Students take pictures of the people they interview use the photos...
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Having Beary Much Fun with Core Knowledge
Students participate in a teddy bear themed unit to improve their social and reading skills along with other core knowledge subjects. In this social and reading skills lesson, students complete 8 units of activities to learn about social...
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Hard Word with the Little Red Hen
Students complete a unit using the story of the Little Red Hen to learn the storybook reading format as well as improve their reading and social skills. In this storybook lesson, students complete five lessons using the story of the...
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One Plus One Makes You and Me - Respect
Young pupils should benefit from this wonderful series of activities designed to teach them how to get along with, and respect each other. Learners recognize how to demonstrate both respectful and disrespectful behavior, and take part in...
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Non-Verbal Communication
Many developmentally disabled students struggle with accurately conveying messages and interpreting those of others around them, especially when they are non-verbal. This lesson contains fun activities and exercises, such as talking with...
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Choices and Decision Making
Here are some lessons are designed for 1st and 2nd graders that are all about making good choices and good decisions. This fine, 11-page document, has everything you need to successfully implement the lessons. The activities look to be...
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Dice Games
Games and activities are wonderful for igniting interest in nearly any topic. With a pair of dice, your class will practice their basic math and social skills at the same time. Learners battle it out to see who can roll only odds or only...
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ConversationBuilder
Some students struggle in social situations or when it comes to conversing with peers. Conversation is key in developing relationships and in building strong social skills. This app can be used to help children with social anxiety, ASD,...
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“Light Force” and “Dark Force”
Designed for learners with autism, this set of worksheets prompts students to design their own fantasy characters as a way of identifying emotional problems and solutions they might face on a daily basis.
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This Spring Turn Over a New Leaf
Spring is the time to focus on social skills and stress management.
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Going to the Doctor: Social Story
A trip to the doctor can be a difficult experience for some pupils. Intended for use with Autistic children, this social story prepares them for a visit to the doctor. Each page contains an image and a different facet of what happens at...
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Hat Game
Sometimes the simplest ideas foster a lot of different skills. To boost social skills, group participation, identifying others by name, and dressing skills, learners play the hat game. They take turns wearing a hat while singing a song...
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Lesson 6: Relationships - Day 4: Friendships & Dating
Class members engage in a series of activities that encourage the development of the social skills associated with dating and sustaining friendships.
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Personal Information
"Hi, how are you? My name is___." Seems simple enough but it's not always that easy to recall and relate factual information about yourself. Learners with multiple disabilities practice memorizing and relaying personal information about...
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Circle Time
Oftentimes children or teens with one or more disability are reluctant to participate in whole-group activities. Foster good participation, verbal expression, and social skills through daily circle time activities. Each day you and your...
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21st Century Social Skills
Explore communication techniques by using the latest video technology. In this special education lesson, students create a video discussing their own social goals for the future. Students utilize Flip Video cameras to document their...
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Constructing a Building
Students work with big boxes to connect big ideas. In this early childhood problem solving lesson, students develop social, language, math, creative-thinking, and problem-solving skills as they work together to plan and design a...
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Activity Plan Mixed Ages: Body Shapes
Learners explore the shape of things as they bend, twist, and turn. In this early childhood lesson plan, students develop social, creative-thinking, and language skills and spatial awareness as they use their bodies to create geometric...
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Governance
Second graders practice decision making. In this government lesson students role play making different types of decisions. They discuss how decisions affect life. The Great Binding Law of the Iroquois Confederacy is used as a focus.
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Life Skill Communication
Students use digital camera to document the needs for daily living. In this life skills and visual arts lesson, students create class books that include photographs of everyday objects that they use in their home, school and personal...
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A Circle of Friends!
Students learn a lot about each other with this child-to-child interview and art project. In this early childhood language arts lesson, students use critical and creative thinking skills as they conduct interviews with their classmates.
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Family Education Survey
Sixth graders conduct an investigation of the local watershed with the help of an informational survey to collect data. They use the results of the survey to generate discussion with family members about environmental preservation and...
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Build a Neighborhood
Learners each construct a building out of cardboard that contributes to the creation of an entire neighborhood. For this dramatic play lesson, students discuss their knowledge of neighborhoods, decorate a box to represent a building, and...
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What Will You Do With Your Life?
Students engage in a instructional activity that is concerned with the concept of self-improvement while reading an article to create the context of discovery. They read about life lists and then use the samples in order to create one's...
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You Be the Expert!
In this advice to a new student worksheet, students read about five situations involving a new student. Students write advice to the new student in each situation.
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Reaching to the Clouds for Equality
Students explore the concept of equality. In this Martin Luther King, Jr. lesson, students read Martin's Big Words, discuss fairness, and create a cloud with their dream recorded on it.
