Can the key elements of this skill be appropriately depicted and connected in a social narrative?
Definitely! Situational stories can help explain feelings of anger, what causes them for that individual, and how to respond. Coping cards will serve as the visual support that the student can use when they encounter frustrating situations. A coping card will likely be one of the most useful strategies to ensure that the student is effectively managing anger, as it tells them what to do to calm down.
Based on the student’s needs and interests, and based on the targeted skill and related concepts, what type of social narrative should you develop – a situational story, coping comic, thought story, and/or coping card?
The purpose of a situational story is to describe and explain how anger feels, and what might make someone angry. A situational story may also outline what you can do when you are angry. The situational story should be tailored to the individual’s level of functioning and interests.
Here is an example of a situational story to address anger:
Sometimes Lauren gets angry when things don’t go her way. When Lauren is angry, her heart beats faster, and she feels like she wants to yell at someone. If she yells at someone at work, she could get in trouble because that is not an appropriate way to handle anger. Instead, Lauren should follow her coping plan. That means that Lauren should 1) Go to the break room and 2) Look through her Calming Notebook. When Lauren is done looking at her Calming Notebook, she should feel better. Then, she can go back to work and handle the situation by talking to her job coach.
Coping cards are portable cards that clearly and concretely tell the student what to do when angry. Coping cards are great for the student whose coping plan is simple and short, and can fit easily on a card. A coping card should be in an accessible location such as in the student’s wallet, the front of their daily planner/agenda, clipped to the back of their schedule, loaded to a mobile device, or posted on the wall near their work space. Coping cards may consist of words, words and pictures, or only pictures, depending on the level of the student:
