This free printable build a snowman barrier game is a perfect way to work on speech therapy and language goals this winter.
Do you want to build a snowman? (Hopefully, you also sing that every single time you see this question.)
Now, what if building a snowman required no actual snow (although we have an abundance of that around here!) and could be used to work on speech, language, and social skills? Well, that's where this free printable snowman barrier game comes in handy.
You simply try to create your own snowman, complete with a hat, face, arms, and scarf and see if the other players can follow your instructions to make their snowman match yours. Ready to try it out? Keep reading!
What is a Barrier Game?
Barrier games are a way to practice speech and social skills concepts by creating and describing scenes to another player and having them recreate the scene on their own game board. An example of a barrier game that you might be familiar with is Battleship.
We personally use barrier games to work on skills such as:
Following directions
Listening skills
Prepositions (on, under, above, beside, next to, etc.)
To prep this barrier game, you will need at least two players. Simply download, print two copies of both the scene and the items (one copy for each player), cut the individual items, and laminate all pieces for durability (optional).
To play this barrier game, have all players sit at a table and set up a barrier. A file folder or book works great! The goal is to make sure that all players cannot see each other's materials.
Each player takes turns placing an object on the scene and describing to the other player where to place the objects. It's important to give clear and specific directions on where to place the objects.
The objective of the game is to have identical pictures at the end. That is, all players should have matching scenes with the items placed in the same spots for all players.
Download the Free Printable Snowman Barrier Game
This free printable barrier game includes four pages, including detailed instructions on how to play, a landscape or scene, and game pieces.
Keep in mind that you'll want to print two copies of each page and laminate everything for durability before use.
To get your copy of this barrier game, click the link below:
This free printable Valentine's cookies barrier game is a perfect way to work on speech therapy and language goals this Valentine's Day.
Are you looking for a simple Valentine's Day themed activity to work on speech and language skills? Then look no further than this fun speech therapy game.
In this free printable Valentine's cookies barrier game, you'll be taking turns arranging a tray of heart and Valentine's themed cookies. Your goal? To see if you can get others to follow your instructions to make their tray match yours.
Maybe you want to carefully arrange the cookies. Or, maybe you want to stack some on top of each other. Perhaps you only want to use a few cookies or put some upside down. The choice is yours with this game.
What is a Barrier Game?
Barrier games are a way to practice speech and social skills concepts by creating and describing scenes to another player and having them recreate the scene on their own game board. An example of a barrier game that you might be familiar with is Battleship.
We personally use barrier games to work on skills such as:
Following directions
Listening skills
Prepositions (on, under, above, beside, next to, etc.)
How to Use the Free Valentine's Cookies Barrier Game
To prep this barrier game, you will need at least two players. Simply download, print two copies of both the scene and the items (one copy for each player), cut the individual items, and laminate all pieces for durability (optional).
To play this barrier game, have all players sit at a table and set up a barrier. A file folder or book works great! The goal is to make sure that all players cannot see each other's materials.
Each player takes turns placing an object on the scene and describing to the other player where to place the objects. It's important to give clear and specific directions on where to place the objects.
The objective of the game is to have identical pictures at the end. That is, all players should have matching scenes with the items placed in the same spots for all players.
Download the Free Printable Valentine's Day Themed Barrier Game
This free printable barrier game includes three pages, including detailed instructions on how to play, a landscape or scene, and game pieces.
Keep in mind that you'll want to print two copies of each page and laminate everything for durability before use.
To get your copy of this barrier game, click the link below:
This free printable jack-o-lantern barrier game is a perfect way to work on speech therapy and language goals this Halloween.
Carving pumpkins can be a sensory nightmare for a lot of kids.
But what if you could make a jack-o-lantern that not only avoids the sensory aspect, but also works on speech and language skills?
Well, that's where this free printable jack-o-lantern barrier game comes into play!
You'll be taking turns, designing a custom jack-o-lantern, and seeing if you can get others to follow your instructions to make the exact same one. Simply mix and match the different eyes, noses, and mouths to create your own fun pumpkin, all while working on a variety of different skills.
What is a Barrier Game?
Barrier games are a way to practice speech and social skills concepts by creating and describing scenes to another player and having them recreate the scene on their own game board. An example of a barrier game that you might be familiar with is Battleship.
We personally use barrier games to work on skills such as:
Following directions
Listening skills
Prepositions (on, under, above, beside, next to, etc.)
To prep this barrier game, you will need at least two players. Simply download, print two copies of both the scene and the items (one copy for each player), cut the individual items, and laminate all pieces for durability (optional).
To play this barrier game, have all players sit at a table and set up a barrier. A file folder or book works great! The goal is to make sure that all players cannot see each other's materials.
Each player takes turns placing an object on the scene and describing to the other player where to place the objects. It's important to give clear and specific directions on where to place the objects.
The objective of the game is to have identical pictures at the end. That is, all players should have matching scenes with the items placed in the same spots for all players.
Download the Free Printable Jack-O-Lantern Barrier Game
This free printable barrier game includes four pages, including detailed instructions on how to play, a landscape or scene, and game pieces.
Keep in mind that you'll want to print two copies of each page and laminate everything for durability before use.
To get your copy of this barrier game, click the link below:
Or you can enjoy more seasonal fun with the Fall & Halloween Barrier Games Bundle! This jack-o-lantern barrier game is a free sample/preview from this bundle.
A simple activity for teaching perspective taking to kids. Plus, a definition of perspective taking and what it means.
Wondering how to teach perspective taking skills to kids? Wish you had a simple activity to do so?
Well, that's where this super simple perspective taking activity comes in. It only takes a few minutes to do, but it's an incredibly powerful way to show kids how to consider and understand another person's perspective.
So, if you're ready to start teaching perspective taking to kids, then you'll love this activity idea! But first, let's define what perspective taking is.
Perspective Taking Definition: What is it Exactly?
Perspective taking is the ability to perceive or understand another person's point of view besides your own. It's where you consider someone else's thoughts and feelings about something in order to see things from their perspective.
An Easy Perspective Taking Activity to Try with Kids
This activity involves physically putting yourself into someone else's place so that you can see what they see from their perspective. It's almost like you're asking the question, "Do you see what I see?" Which kind of reminds me of that Christmas song, Do you hear what I hear?
Anyway, for this perspective taking activity, you'll need:
2 chairs
2 people
Both people sit in a chair, facing each other.
One person (person A) says, "Tell me what you see behind me," and the other person (person B) names a few objects that they can see.
If you want to be more specific and concrete, you can say, "Name two (three, four, etc.) objects that you see behind me."
Now it is person B's turn to ask person A to describe or name the objects that they see behind person B.
Both people will likely respond with different objects because they are each seeing the room from their own unique position in the room. They are simply sharing what they see from their point of view and perspective. For example, person A might see a poster and a window while person B might see a stack of books on a table and a bowl of fruit.
Next, both people switch chairs.
Once seated in the opposite chair, both people can begin to see the room from the other person's perspective and position in the room. They start to see the objects that they couldn't see previously because they now sit in a different position and have a different point of view.
And that's it! I told you it was super simple.
Teaching Perspective Taking is Easy with this Social Story!
Want to go a bit further in teaching your child about why it's important to consider other people's perspectives? Then try this perspective taking social story!
Want to teach kids about understanding and thinking about others' perspectives? Then try these perspective taking activities and games.
Being able to understand - or at least consider - someone else's perspective is an important skill for a variety of things. It can help with communication skills, empathy, social skills, comprehension, social inferencing...just to name a few.
Perspective taking is a complex social skill. A skill that requires quite a bit of practice to get good at. And honestly, it's a skill that many adults still need practice with.
But thankfully, these perspective taking activities, games, and printables should help.
This list of activities and games was last updated on March 18, 2024. New free resources were added and dead/broken links were removed.
Try these Perspective Taking Activities & Games with Your Kids
Here are some fun activities, games, and printables to help teach your kids and teens about others' perspectives. Please note that some require a Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) account, but don't worry, it's free to register.
You'll find that these activity ideas are great for group social skills work. Some could certainly even be adapted for use in social skills online groups.
3. Free Perspective Taking Social Scenarios for Middle & High School from Misty's Speech World on TPT - This set of 9 task cards have different social scenario activities for kids to practice with. Kids read the task card. Then they try to identify the different perspectives of the characters involved.
4. Slam Dunk Perspective Taking Activity from Speech2u on TPT - Teach this important life skill with this basketball themed game. In it, kids practice identifying emotions and considering others' perspectives.
5. Find the Airplane Perspective Taking Activity with Free Printable from Centervention - This activity looks great. I do think many kids might find this activity challenging though.
7. Free Comparing Perspectives Graphic Organizer from Literacy in Focus - Graphic organizers are so helpful for hyperlexic and autistic kids. In fact, they're one of our favorite tools! This freebie can be used to analyze and think about a variety of common social scenarios. And I love that there's both a printable and digital version included too!
9. Free Perspective Taking Task Cards & Empathy Activity from Teacher Resource Cabin on TPT - This set includes 40 scenarios and social themes to practice perspective taking. As an added bonus, you can edit these task cards. That means you can customize them to be more relatable to your child.
15. Free Sample Christmas Perspective Taking Boom Cards from Mau SLP on TPT - Another set of Boom Cards, but this time with a Christmas theme! It includes the option to offer choices or not offer choices for each Boom Card.
Need More Help Teaching Perspective Taking Skills? Try this Social Story!
Sometimes it's helpful to do some more indepth teaching of this social thinking skill first. That's where this social story about perspective taking comes in. It's a great tool for explaining and understanding perspective taking to your child. It also explains what perspective taking is and gives kids simple questions they can ask to better understand someone else's perspective.
You'll definitely want to read through this social story with your child a few times first. Then you can dive in and try one of these awesome perspective taking activities and games with your kids.
A collection of free Halloween social stories for kids about trick or treating, wearing a costume, carving a pumpkin, and more! Printable and video social stories are included below.
Halloween can be an extremely overwhelming holiday for many kids, especially those with sensory differences.
Wearing a costume, spooky or scary decorations and music, and/or seeing others dressed up can be enough to cause sensory overload. Especially when you all of that pair that with eating lots of candy and sugar.
Then there are things like anxiety to consider, as well as changes in routines. You might have a different routine at school, a Halloween party, or something else that's different than usual. Those changes in routine can be stressful for some kids.
Thankfully, I've got you covered with lots of free Halloween social stories for kids. They'll help your kid understand what Halloween is, what trick or treating is all about, and so much more. That way they'll be better equipped to participate in Halloween traditions if they'd like to.
This collection of Halloween social stories was last updated on April 20, 2024. New video social stories were added.
Free Printable Halloween Social Stories for Kids
Have you been looking for a social story about Halloween, trick or treating, or wearing a costume? Then look no further than these free printable Halloween social stories. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account (which is free!) before you can download them.
I've rounded up some options for you to explore. That way you can find the best Halloween social story for you and your child. Or you can simply use ideas from different stories below to write your own custom story (free social story templates here to help).
Please note that just because a social story is listed here does not mean I endorse its content. After all, many social stories tend to be poorly written and/or teach autistic masking. Besides, I haven't read all of these stories word for word myself. So please read through the stories carefully before using them with your child.
1. Carving a Pumpkin Social Story - A detailed account of how to carve jack-o-lanterns for Halloween that uses full color photos.
2. Trick-or-Treating Social Story - I collaborated with my friend Renae to make this extremely thorough social story for Halloween. We tried to cover as many safety and sensory issues that may arise while trick-or-treating. It uses full color photos.
3. Trick-or-Treating Social Scripts - While it isn't technically a social story, it's still important to include this resource here. It's a little book of scripts that kids can say while out and about trick or treating.
4. Halloween Social Stories from Happy Learners - Here are two text only social stories. One is a more general one about Halloween, while the other is focused on the topic of Halloween parties.
5. Trick or Treating Story from Autism Little Learners - This story uses short sentences and lots of colorful and diverse clipart.
6. Halloween Day Social Story from Social Stories: Power Tool for Autism - A simple social story that includes one picture.
8. Halloween Trick or Treating at School Social Story from Autism Tank - If your kids will be trick or treating at school, then this one page social story might be helpful. It uses colorful icons to support the simple text.
9. Trick or Treating Social Story from Communication Station - This social story is visually busy, but it is quite detailed with lots of great information about going trick or treating. It just might not be a good fit if your child finds lots of text and images overwhelming.
10. Trick or Treating Social Story from Chit Chat and Small Talk - A simple two page social story with visuals for each step. A bit basic, but some may still find it helpful.
11. Halloween Trick or Treat Sequencing Cards & Social Story from Miss V's Speech World on TPT - It's more of a set of cards than it is a traditional social story, but you could use the cards to make a mini story. This printable uses colorful Boardmaker icons.
12. Halloween Social Stories Pack from Erin from Creating and Teaching on TPT - There are two social stories here. One is about trick or treating and one is about wearing a costume. Both stories are short one page stories that use colorful icons to support the text.
13. On Halloween Night Social Story from TLC Talk Shop on TPT - This social story talks about preparing for Halloween festivities and uses clipart.
14. Halloween Trick or Treat Social Story from Madame Jennifer on TPT - A super short one page social story that can be cut and assembled into a mini book. It uses clipart.
15. Trick or Treat Social Story from Miss McKnight's World on TPT - An 11 page social story that uses clipart to talk about trick or treating.
16. Trick or Treat Social Story from Transparent Me Blogging Resources on TPT - A 21 page social story that looks pretty thorough and uses black and white clipart.
17. Halloween Symbol Supported Social Story from Spedtacular Inclusion on TPT - Here is a story that uses symbols and covers various aspects of what Halloween is, wearing costumes, and more.
19. Trick or Treating Social Story from Natalie's Nook on TPT - This story is available on Google Slides so hopefully you can edit or customize it to fit your needs.
21. Halloween Party Social Story from Kate Vincent on TPT - A one page social story that uses a mix of clipart and photos. It does come as a Word document so hopefully that means you can edit it too.
22. Trick or Treat Social Story from Breezy Special Ed on TPT - A simple one page social story that uses colorful icons to support the text. It also comes with free AAC communication bracelets to wear on Halloween while trick or treating.
25. Trick or Treat Social Story from Behavioral Perspective Inc on TPT - A simple one page story with clipart. It talks about trick or treating in particular.
26. Going Trick or Treating Social Story from Miss Evans' Emotional Toolbox on TPT - This story looks pretty detailed. It uses colorful clipart.
27. Trick-or-Treat Social Story from Learning for a Purpose on TPT - This story looks pretty text heavy and quite detailed. It also uses colorful clipart.
28. Interactive Trick or Treating Social Story from Itty Bitty Speech on TPT - This pack includes one interactive story and one non prep one page social story. It uses clipart and looks pretty simple.
29. Halloween Social Story from Mosswood Connections - This one page fill in the blank style social story makes it easy to customize the story for your child. It also includes a template for making a Halloween schedule for your kids, which could be quite handy as well! Please note that the image used in the story does include a puzzle piece symbol so I would cut that out of the story.
Video Social Stories About Halloween
Here are some video social stories teach kids about Halloween. You can use these in teletherapy sessions, at home, and/or classroom settings. Videos are always a great alternative to printing off a story.
Like the stories above, some of the wording in these videos aren't always great. But I wanted to make sure you had lots of different options for discussing and teaching kids about Halloween traditions.
Preparing a child for Halloween doesn't need to be too complicated or overwhelming. Hopefully these free Halloween social stories can help you get started.
A free printable poster of chat room rules and texting etiquette for tweens and teens.
My son is using Google Hangouts to chat with classmates as part of his online schooling this year. Since this is really his first time using a messaging platform of any kind (he doesn't have a cell phone or anything), I wanted to set him up for success.
Obviously, the list of rules and etiquette I share below isn't a comprehensive one by any means, but it is a good starting point to help set some boundaries and expectations for using something that is new to him.
Please note that I don't have tips pertaining to sharing photos or private information across chat on this list as that is something his class had already discussed together during the first couple of days as school.
Instead, my focus was more on the hidden aspects of social communication and the specific rules of etiquette that many teachers and parents might not mention or might not think would be important to discuss with their kids.
For instance, I noticed he was chatting with a classmate while the teacher was talking or he was sending long lists of the same emoji over and over again. And I've noticed in Zoom chats, both now and back in the spring, that a lot of his classmates would send just random words over chat. Usually the word reeeeeeeeeeee, whatever that means...So that's my inspiration for this little printable.
Anyway, here is the list of chat rules and texting etiquette that I came up with him. A free printable poster is also included because, after all, with a hyperlexic child, if it's not written down, it might not exist to them.
10 Chat Rules & Texting Etiquette for Tweens & Teens
1. Be kind.
2. Stay on topic and keep it appropriate.
3. Send messages when you think the person will be awake, which is usually after 8:00 AM, but before 9:00 PM.
4. No chatting or messaging during class time, especially when the teacher is talking, unless it is required for partner or group work.
5. Acronyms like LOL and OMG are okay to use, but try to stick to using real words and phrases.
6. Emojis are great to use too, but 1 or 2 emojis are more than enough at a time.
7. You can also send stickers or GIFs, but keep them relevant to the topic and stick to using just one at a time.
8. Don't click on unfamiliar links. You can always ask a trusted adult to find out if the links are okay to click.
9. Stop messaging if the person asks you to stop or tells you that they are busy.
10. If the person doesn't respond after 1 or 2 messages, stop messaging to give them time to respond. They might be busy or unable to respond right now.
Download the Free Printable Poster of Chat Rules & Texting Etiquette
This one page printable is designed to look like a real chat thread (I'll be honest, I spent waaaay too much time making it look that way, but so worth it!) and outlines the 10 tips from above.
To get a copy of this printable, click the link below:
Teach kids and teens (or adults too!) the steps to solving a problem with this free printable ABCs of problem solving poster chart.
Knowing how to solve a problem is just one of many social skills kids, teens, and adults need to learn.
There are a few steps involved in problem solving so it's always good to have a visual cue that breaks down the different steps, especially for autistic and hyperlexic individuals who find visual supports particularly helpful.
And, since the alphabet is kind of our thing around here, I want to share the ABCs of problem solving with you. Well, actually it's more like the ABCDE of problem solving, but whatever, close enough.
Regardless, this is an example of how you can take your hyperlexic child's interest (letters) and use it to teach new skills (problem solving). Something I discuss here.
5 Steps to Solving a Problem
Here's how to use the ABCs of problem solving:
Step 1: Ask
This step is all about asking yourself the following questions:
Is there a problem?
What is the problem?
How big is the problem?
If you ask the first question and determine that there really isn't a problem, then there's nothing you need to do.
But, if you do determine there is a problem, then you need to clearly identify what the problem is and determine the size of the problem. Knowing the size of the problem will help you determine, in later steps, if it's a problem that can be tackled on your own or if you might need some help.
Step 2: Brainstorm
For this step, you need to come up with different possible solutions and ideas for how to best solve the problem. Write down everything you can think of.
Step 3: Choose
This step is all about picking one solution to try. Ask, "What solution will best solve my problem?" Then go through the list of ideas you came up with in the brainstorming stage and pick one that you want to try or that you think makes the most sense for the problem.
Step 4: Do it
Here's where you actively attempt to solve the problem. This is where you take the solution you picked in step 3 and use it.
Step 5: Evaluate
Now it is time to evaluate your results. Did your strategy or solution work? If yes, then celebrate!
If not, then you need to evaluate why it didn't work. Then use that information to help you pick a new strategy or solution from step 3. This step isn't about quitting when one solution doesn't work. It's about asking yourself, "What can I try next?"
Remember, there is a free problem solving printable available below.
Download the Free Printable Problem Solving Chart
This one page printable outlines the five problem solving steps from above. It includes a colorful letter for each step, a title, and a short description of what to do. I highly recommend laminating for durability.
To get a copy of this free printable, click the link below:
Looking for social skills activities for teens? Check out these free social skills worksheets, group activity ideas, and more below! Great for teens with autism.
Below you'll find tons of great ideas for social skills activities for teens, including social skills group activities and free printable worksheets and resources.
Social Skills for Teens: Things to Keep in Mind
There are a few things to remember when it comes to teaching social skills to teens:
Social skills activities should be tailored to the individual
These skills are ones that you work on over a long period of time, even years, and many - if not most - you'll continually work on even as an adult so don't expect mastery after one or two rounds of practice
There are tons of different social skills to teach and the ideas below are by no means exhaustive
Skills that our teens need to learn these days are a lot more diverse and complex than when we were teens due to things such as technology and social media so it might be a bit harder to truly understand what they're going through during the teen years (i.e., expect to learn as you go too!)
Social Skills Activities for Teens
In this section, you'll find more general ideas for social skills training. These social skills activities for teens include group activity ideas, general strategies for teaching social skills, and free printable lists of social skills. Basically, the ideas to get you thinking about what to teach and how to teach it.
Free Social Skills Worksheets & Printables for Teens
Now that you have a good idea of what social skills to teach your autistic teens and some general strategies for how to do so, let's take a look at some free social skills worksheets for teens, as well as other useful printables, that target more specific skills.
These printable resources target skills such as greeting others, apologizing, perspective taking, text messaging with friends, dating, and idioms.
All of the resources below are free to download. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account though (which is also free).
Looking for social stories? Then you'll love this free printable social story about school being closed down temporarily. It's perfect for kids with autism.
We officially received word yesterday that our schools would be closing indefinitely. Yes, you read that right. Not a couple of weeks, but indefinitely.
Emotions are certainly high for all of us, but a sudden school closure like what we are experiencing might bring even bigger emotions for many kids.
I hope that this free printable social story about schools being closed is helpful for explaining to your kids what will be happening now that their schools are closed for a lengthy period of time.
About the Free Printable School is Closed Social Story
This social story explains school closures to kids. I kept the text more general so that it could be used for other school closure reasons, beyond the current coronavirus pandemic, such as water main breaks. Besides, I'm sure most kids are likely already aware of why their schools are closed by this point.
I highly suggest laminating the social story for durability. You can use binder rings to keep the social story together or store it in a binder. As an alternative to laminating, you could use sheet protectors in a binder. Or if you find yourself printing off lots of social stories, then this binding machine is a lifesaver!
About the Spanish Version of this Social Story
I had quite a few requests for a Spanish translation and had some volunteer readers help out since my Spanish is pretty basic and extremely rusty.
So thank you to Anna F. and Angel A. for the initial translation and for getting the ball rolling on this project!
And a great big thank you to Carolina from Mama Instincts (and her aunt!) for verifying it, tweaking it, and making it sound/read more natural. She suggested offering a boy version and a girl version since some words aren't gender neutral in Spanish, especially after she told me that "little girls like me would have preferred to read it in female form." I'm a huge proponent of making sure everyone feels represented (as best as I can!) so of course I said yes to her suggestion! The changes are minimal. It's just a few verbs that have been switched to the correct masculine or feminine form. I'm immensely grateful for her help. I thought her podcast episode about How to Support Your Children During the Pandemic was helpful, if you want to check it out.
Again, I am so grateful for all of the help to make this story accessible to even more families!
Download the Free Printable Social Story About School Closures
This social story is 11 pages long and includes full color photos paired with the text. It also has spots for you to fill in. The story is also available in English or Spanish.
To get a copy of this social story, click the relevant link below:
Looking for social stories? Then you'll love this free printable social story about handwashing. It's perfect for kids with autism.
Well, I think we can all recognize the importance of washing hands at the best of times, but even more so now with the COVID pandemic.
So if you need to teach your kids how to wash their hands properly and thoroughly, then you'll love this free printable social story about hand washing. It's incredibly detailed. And, as always, uses full color photos instead of clipart.
About the Free Printable Handwashing Social Story
This social story explains, in detail, how to wash your hands, why we wash our hands, and covers details such as different types of soaps, hand dryers, how long to wash your hands, and more.
I highly suggest laminating the social story for durability. You can use binder rings to keep the social story together or store it in a binder. As an alternative to laminating, you could use sheet protectors in a binder. Or if you find yourself printing off lots of social stories, then this binding machine is a lifesaver!
Download the Free Printable Social Story About Washing Hands
This printable is 17 pages long and includes full color photos paired with the text. This story talks about when to wash your hands, outlines steps for washing and drawing, and more.
To get a copy of this social story, click the link below:
