Feelings Check-In Cards

Your child can't identify or express their emotions

Steps

  1. Use feelings cards or a feelings chart with emoji faces
  2. Check in at set times: morning, after school, bedtime
  3. Ask 'Which face matches how you feel right now?'
  4. Validate whatever they share: 'That makes sense'
  5. Over time, they'll start identifying feelings without prompts

What you need

Feelings chart or cards (printable included in toolkit)

Why it works

Many children with Autism and ADHD experience alexithymia — difficulty identifying and naming emotions. Feelings cards provide a visual bridge between the internal experience and language. Regular check-ins build emotional vocabulary gradually, without requiring the child to generate the words from scratch.

Age guidance

Best for ages 3-10. Start with 4-5 basic emotions for younger children and expand as their vocabulary grows.

Real-world example

Parents often worry their child just picks the same face every time. This is actually normal at first — they're learning the process. After a few weeks, most children start differentiating and may surprise you with how precisely they can identify what they're feeling.

Troubleshooting

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