Teaching preschooler with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to identify the emotions and thoughts of others can be done effectively by breaking down the skill into small, manageable steps. The focus should be on using visual supports, consistent practice, and reinforcing correct responses. Here’s how a BCBA might approach it:
Steps to Teach a Child with ASD to Identify Emotions and Thoughts:
Start with Basic Emotions:
Begin by introducing a few basic emotions such as happy, sad, angry, and scared.
Use visual aids like emotion cards or pictures showing different facial expressions.
Label the emotions as you show the child pictures, or act them out yourself. For example, show a picture of a smiling face and say, “This person is happy.”
Use Modeling and Video Modeling:
Model the behavior by expressing emotions and labeling them. For instance, if you’re feeling happy, say, “I feel happy because I got a new toy.”
Video modeling can be helpful too, where the child watches short videos of people expressing emotions and then identifies them.
Practice with Real-Life Situations:
As the child becomes familiar with the pictures, practice identifying emotions in everyday life. For example, if someone in the family is laughing, you can ask, “How does mommy feel right now?” and prompt, “Mommy is happy.”
Reinforce correct responses with praise or a preferred activity.
Use Social Stories:
Develop social stories that describe situations where people feel certain emotions, explaining the reasons behind those emotions. For example, “Sarah is sad because her toy broke. When people feel sad, they might cry or have a frown.”
Read the stories together and ask the child to identify how the character feels.
Teach Thought Bubbles:
Use thought bubbles or drawings where you show a character in a situation and have a bubble above their head. Ask the child, “What do you think this person is thinking?” For instance, if the picture shows a child looking at a spilled ice cream cone, prompt with questions like, “Do you think the child is happy or sad?”
Match Emotions to Situations:
Present scenarios and ask the child to match emotions to the event. For example, “Johnny’s balloon popped. How do you think Johnny feels?” You can use options like, “Is he happy or sad?” to help the child choose.
Reinforce Emotion Identification Through Games:
Engage the child in emotion-identification games. Games like “Feelings Bingo” or using apps that feature emotional recognition can be a fun way to practice.
You can also play “Emotion Charades,” where you act out emotions and have the child guess which one you are showing.
Practice Perspective-Taking:
Once the child is familiar with emotions, begin working on perspective-taking. Explain that others may feel or think differently. For example, “If you have a cookie, you feel happy. But if your friend doesn’t have one, how might they feel?” This helps the child understand that others may have different emotions and thoughts from their own.
Reinforcement and Feedback:
Provide immediate positive reinforcement when the child correctly identifies emotions or thoughts. This could be verbal praise, high fives, or a small reward.
For incorrect responses, gently correct and model the correct emotion, saying something like, “Close, but look at the smile—when people smile, they feel happy.”
By consistently using these strategies, a child with ASD can gradually build the ability to recognize and identify the emotions and thoughts of others, improving their social interactions and emotional understanding.
Сontact ALON Behavior Consulting to create an individualized program for your child to help them successfully learn to identify the emotions and thoughts of others.
