Mini Social Book: When I Can’t Control Myself *Freebie*

We all have those students who have difficulties regulating their emotions and behaviors. Simply telling my students not to yell, scream, kick or throw things wasn’t really having any impact. So I have been working with several intermediate students in recent weeks who have difficulties managing their emotions in a grade appropriate way, and the key component of this was to talk about how it makes other people feel. Our kids don’t want peers to be scared of them, or think they’re a cry-baby. They don’t want to be left out because they meltdown quickly.

Free Download from my TPT Store

This book  contains four small pages (which fit on a normal sheet of paper). For durability, just cut out, laminate and secure with a single binding ring. I usually teach this story with a set of Thoughts & Feelings cards so that we can not only explore the emotions that lead to the meltdown and increase self-awareness, but how other people might think and feel about the meltdown. This has been really pivotal as I feel that you can’t just whip out a social story every time this happens (and if you’re downloading this story you know this can happen a lot!). You have to label the feelings, discuss the emotions and identify the thoughts associated with what happened and most times our students will need this in visual form too.

The mini social book addresses the following information:

• When I can’t control myself
• What does it look like?
• How does it make people feel?
• Different ways I can feel and how can I calm myself

I have a few other free mini social books in a similar style, so check out the posts on: When You Cheat, How to Greet People, How to Give Compliments and When You Interrupt.

WHO SHOULD USE IT?

This is a book for the entire ‘team’.

• SLPs should have the book as a therapy teaching tool.
• Teachers and other people who work with the person can use this to support the skill in the school environment.
• Families can use this as a reference at home.
• …..and whoever the mini social book is intended for can refer to it in whatever environment they are in. The book is intended to be small for portability and discrete viewing!

Find all my FREE resources on my Pinterest page. Enjoy your downloads.