Training our students with autism in social skills has always been important. Unfortunately, it seems this part of our job is something “they don’t teach us in college.” There is a lot of gray area in social skills training. Thank goodness there is some fantastic social skills training curriculum to help guide us. Here are my three favorite programs:
(The links in this post are non-affiliated links. I am not receiving any additional benefit in sharing these programs with you. They are simply programs that I have used in my classroom and loved! )
Zones of Regulation
Age Range: Kindergarten – 8th grade
Cost: $54.99. Get it here.
Why I like it: This is an all-encompassing social-emotional curriculum. The book contains all you need to teach the many concepts that Zones of Regulation covers. It also includes activity pages for lower elementary and upper elementary students. Students are taught that different emotions are not “bad,” but there are appropriate ways to react to our various emotions. This single book can last you the entire school year and beyond! (It is also research-based.)
Emotional ABCs
Age Range: Kindergarten – 5th grade (but definitely geared toward younger students)
Cost: FREE for Teachers!! Get it here.
Why I like it: Besides the fact that it is free, Emotional ABCs is an engaging curriculum for students. My students LOVE the monster characters and love that many of the activities utilize technology. Teachers can easily use this with individual students or small-group instruction.
Superflex
Age Range: 1st grade and up
Cost: $55.99. Get it here.
Why I like it: This curriculum is super appealing to elementary students. The characters include a team of superheroes… What’s not to like? Superflex has many catchy phrases to teach students how to bring awareness to their social behaviors. There are many fun supplemental materials on their website, so be sure to check them all out!
Have you tried any of these programs in your classroom? Let me know in the comments below.
Click here to gain access to my Free resource library for some emotions task cards!