Social Skills for Understanding Emotions

Mom with emotions

Learning to understand and manage thoughts and emotions is a critical part of a child’s social and emotional development. 

In our social skills PowerPoint curriculum resources, our Special Education Consultants share ways to teach and reinforce this important topic. 

Help your student or child understand how thoughts can impact our emotions and those emotions can impact our actions. 

Triggers are things that happen, such as waiting in a long line or losing a loved one, that can cause you to feel certain emotions. Teaching your child or student how to manage triggering situations and the emotions that can result is an important part of development. 

Try brainstorming ways for your student or child to calm themselves down when they are feeling overstimulated such as taking 10 deep breaths, getting up to go for a walk, or looking at calming images. 

Give this resource a try and check out the other resources in our social skills PowerPoint curriculum module! 

The special education resources on this page were authored by Watson Institute’s Andee Morris, M.Ed., special education consultant and faculty.

Powerpoint Presentation:

Emotions and Triggers PowerPoint

Emotions and Triggers Facilitator’s Guide

Resource Materials:

Emotions and Triggers Activity Sheet 1

Emotions and Triggers Activity Sheet 2

Emotions and Triggers Homework

Emotions and Triggers Mini-Schedule

Emotions and Triggers Outline and Materials

Emotions and Triggers Parent Note

Emotions and Triggers Social Power Point Cards

Emotions and Triggers Teacher Alert

Pre/Post Assessment

A pre and post lesson assessment is included in each lesson. Use of the assessment is an instructor preference.  Many of the ‘homework’ pages for a lesson can be used as a pre/post assessment device alone or as part of the provided assessment.  Each homework page can be checked by the instructor as well as the student.

Review all included pages of the lesson to determine what ‘assessment’ method will meet your needs.  If the student is able to achieve a + in the majority of items of the pre-assessment, or if the student has been observed to display the skill topic of the lesson often, then the lesson may not be introduced or can be taught with a group as review and/or reinforcement.

Emotions and Triggers Pre/Post Assessment

If you have questions or concerns about the Watson Institute’s use of this information, please contact us.