TEACCH Tip#15 – Helping Children Express Their Feelings
Recognizing and expressing emotions can be challenging for many children with autism. Books and stories provide a wonderful opportunity to explore feelings in a structured, supportive way. By pairing stories with visual supports and interactive activities, children can better understand emotions, make connections to their own experiences, and learn strategies for coping with difficult feelings.
Using pictures, objects, or favorite toys can help bring a story to life while making abstract emotions more concrete. Watch video for examples.
Ways to Support Emotional Understanding
- Use character pictures, figurines, dolls, or stuffed animals to act out the story as you read.
- Encourage your child to move the character when it speaks or takes action in the story.
- Match the materials to your child’s learning style. Some children benefit from two-dimensional pictures, while others understand best with three-dimensional objects. Watch video for examples.
- After reading, use visual feelings cards or picture supports to talk about how the characters felt and connect those emotions to real-life situations.
- Model your own emotions by sharing examples of times you have felt scared, safe, happy, or worried.
After reading the story, use visuals (such as feelings cards) to help the child make connections between situations and his feelings. For example, after reading Bear Feels Scared, use pictures to help your child fill in the blanks. Also, Help the child with the connection by filling one of the blanks for them. Fill in the blanks about yourself so that you child knows that you have feelings about things too. Look for things that make you both feel the same way. Look for differences.
Click here for the companion TEACCH Tale video. Ashley Hester, Ph.D. from Raleigh TEACCH reading and using visuals for Bear Feels Scared for TEACCH Tales
Downloadable Materials
Bear Feels Scared character visuals and feelings cards
Helpful Hints
- If sitting still is difficult, make the story interactive by acting out scenes, searching for characters, or using movement to represent what is happening.
- Personalize visual supports with your child’s favorite comfort items, familiar places, or everyday experiences.
- Help your child identify what makes them feel safe and connect those supports to times when they feel scared or upset.
- Practice discussing emotions during calm moments so these strategies are easier to use during stressful situations.
- Remember that there are no right or wrong feelings—helping children recognize, communicate, and manage their emotions is the goal.
Using stories, visuals, and shared experiences can help children build emotional awareness, strengthen communication, and develop strategies for expressing how they feel.