To download the illustrated panels shown below, please click on the red link below:
To download 22 picture cards to practice showing concern, click on this next link below:
Autistic children and showing concern for others / empathy
Children on the autism spectrum often have great difficulty with this important skill. They often spend less time observing others than typical children, and they might not notice another person’s distress. They often are perplexed by the typical signs of upset feelings in another person. They might have normal feelings of sympathy for the other person, but they might be at a loss regarding the necessity to express concern and the social conventions for going about it.
It is well known that there is quite a lot of variability in the distribution of empathy skills both among autistic people and among neurotypical people. But even autistic children who have a refined sense of feeling for others may lack in willingness and ability to show their concern and display it tactfully.
I will soon be posting much more material on the topic of showing concern for others.
How to use the illustrated panels:
You can use them as a wall display. You can use them in preparation for role play practice. Go to THIS LINK HERE for a number of picture cards showing people in distress.
Joel Shaul, LCSW