Daily Life Strategies
Dealing with emotions can be tough for any child. If that child has autism, appropriately expressing emotions can seem impossible. Kindergarten through third grade students in Wohlwend's resource room learn how to regulate their emotional state and demonstrate respect, responsibility, and confidence by participating in Daily Life Strategies. The program strives to help children own their feelings by teaching them concrete strategies to regulate their emotions. The students learn how to stop, think, and act by practicing calming strategies such as "Flip the Pancake," the "Turtle Shell," and "Little P." After creating a personal book that includes strategies that work for them, the kids practice how to react to various situations -- first in a controlled environment and then in the general education setting. When the group reconvenes each week, they discuss what strategies they've used, and how those strategies helped them regulate their emotions. Each of the seven students in Daily Life Strategies has made immense progress toward their IEP goals of emotional regulation.