Date: 24/10/2022
Communicating emotions can be complex for many autistic children and young people.
When already anxious, the expectation to verbalise feelings and express the need for help can add further stress. The examples in this video and photo montage show how objects can be used to communicate feelings and the need for help. These examples also show how these supports can be discreet, as some children and young people may be reluctant to communicate through the use of obvious visual supports, such as large Help cards or colourful calm break cards. More discreet forms of communication can then be used, such as coloured pens or other small objects, with green representing “I’m OK”, yellow representing “I’m starting to feel anxious/ I need a little help with this task” and red representing “I need to leave the room/ I need a break from this task”.
Allow the child or young person to selecting the communication support that works best for them, and then practise this before generalising to the main classroom or other setting.