Emotions & Feelings Social Story 3.2

This application features a social story that delves into various emotions and feelings individuals may encounter throughout the day. It provides a simple visual aid to inquire about someone's feelings or identify emotions. The narrative delves into the reasons behind a person's emotions and the potential triggers for various feelings.

Upon launching the app, users are presented with a menu offering the option to read the story or navigate to the "Emotions and Feelings" section. The social story comprehensively covers different emotions and their potential catalysts. The "Emotions and Feelings" page displays nine buttons corresponding to emotions from the story, each verbally expressing the emotion when activated.

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders often struggle with recognizing or pinpointing emotions. They may find it challenging to interpret facial expressions that others rely on for gauging emotions, both in themselves and in others. Teaching social skills, such as identifying and describing emotions, can be more effective and less stressful when incorporating visual aids like social stories.

While typically developing children tend to grasp emotions without explicit guidance, it's essential to recognize that this may not be universal. Some individuals, particularly those facing social or communication obstacles like autism spectrum disorders, may require targeted instruction in understanding emotions.

Social stories represent a valuable visual tool commonly employed with children having autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, or other special needs. This particular social story employs straightforward text and illustrative images to explain common emotions, their triggers, and when they might arise.

First outlined by Carol Gray in 1991, social stories serve to break down tasks or social scenarios into digestible steps, often paired with descriptive visual aids. Simple to implement, these stories are widely embraced by professionals across various disciplines to address a broad spectrum of behaviors and skills.