Faces | Darcy Lynn Ventriloquist | Lynn Ventrioquist
Noticing how people express feelings through facial expressions and body language.
Exploring how facial expressions can change quickly as feelings shift.
Seeing the faces and bodies of the audience show what they are feeling without words.
Noticing the difference between what someone's face shows and what words might not be saying.
Thinking about how Darci kept her mouth still whilst still connecting with the audience.
Exploring how people can communicate in many different ways, including through performance, silence, and gesture.
Faces | DreamWorks | Puss Boots
Noticing how Puss changes his face to show very different things.
Exploring what a fierce face and a sweet face tell us.
Understanding that we can change our facial expressions even if we do not feel that way.
Thinking about how a face can change how other people feel and react.
Reading the clues in someone's eyes and face to work out what they feel or what they intend to do.
Faces | DreamWorks | Madagascar Mort
Noticing how Mort's face changes as his feelings change.
Exploring what a happy face and a scared face each look like.
Understanding that our faces often show how we feel on the inside.
Thinking about clues, such as how the eyes and mouth look, can tell us what someone is feeling.
Considering how a face can change quickly when a situation changes.
Distance | Understanding Social
Exploring the idea that different people may need different amounts of space, and that this is individual.
Thinking about what it feels like when someone is too close or far away.
Seeing that reading the distance someone prefers can be done by noticing their body language and reactions.
Exploring how distance between people can be one way of showing care.
Noticing that working out the appropriate distance is something many people find tricky, and that it is something people keep learning.
Continuing Conversations | Friends | Joey Nods
Exploring different ways people signal their understanding during a conversation.
Thinking about how to ask for clarification if you are not following or understanding a conversation.
Considering how miscommunications can occur and what might help when they do.
Continuing Conversations | Suggested Questions
Noticing different ways people can extend a greeting into a longer conversation.
Exploring questions that open up a conversation rather than close it down.
Considering how interest in another person can help a conversation continue.
Thinking about how different people have different preferences for how conversations flow.
Reflecting on what helps you feel comfortable keeping a conversation going.
Conversation Starters | Fisk | ABC
Noticing that there are many different ways to begin a conversation.
Exploring how the same goal can be reached through different communication styles.
Considering that conversation starters look and feel different for everyone.
Thinking about how words, gestures, images, and sounds are all used to open a conversation.
Conversation Ending | The Simpsons | Conversation Endings
Noticing the different ways people can start or try to start an interaction with someone.
Exploring what it can look and feel like when an invitation to connect is turned down.
Thinking about how people might read the signals that someone is or is not open to an interaction.
Noticing that there is no single right way to exit a social situation, and that people find their own approaches.
Exploring the gap between how we hope an interaction will go and how it actually unfolds.
Body Language | Mr Bean | Plays Drums
Noticing how a person can communicate a full story using only body movement and facial expression.
Exploring how physical cues such as posture, gesture, and eye movement can show what someone is thinking or feeling.
Noticing how the audience reads the body langugage and responds without any spoken words.
Thinking about how much information we can share and receive without using speech.
Sensory Overwhelm | Daniel Tiger
Noticing what sensory overwhelm can look like in someone else.
Exploring how the same environment can feel very different for different people.
Thinking about strategies that can help when things feel too much.
Considering how the people around us can help when we feel overwhelmed.
Sensory Overwhelm | Sesame Street
Noticing that the same sound can feel very different for different people.
Recognising body sginals that tell us someone may be feeling overwhelmed.
Exploring how familiar people, routines, and sensory strategies can support regulation.
Considering how friends can respond by understanding.
Thinking about what it feels like when the world becomes too much, and what helps.
Sensory Overwhelm | Dead End
Noticing how close physical touch, eye contact and verbal instructions can all affect someone's ability to feel calm and present.
Exploring how sensory input from sound, movement, and crowds can build up over time.
Thinking about how different people experience the same activities in different ways.
Considering what might be a way we can respond in a moment of overwhem.
Exploring what environments or strategies help you feel regulated and at ease.
Recognising Emotions | Disney | Up
Noticing how emotions can show on someone's face and in their body.
Exploring how one person's feelings can change quickly in a short moment.
Noticing how sharing something personal can help someone feel more comfortable.
Exploring how people can show care without using words.
Thinking about how excitement and nervousness can feel similar in the body.
Reading Emotions | Big Bang Theory | Emotion Detector
Exploring how understanding emotions is something that can develop over time and with practice, rather than something that is simply present or absent.
Thinking about how body language can provide clues to someone's feelings.
Reflecting that the first step is identifying how someone feels.
The next step is to know what to do with that information.
Reading Emotions | Big Bang Theory
Noticing that reading emotions involves many different clues at once.
Exploring how tone, facial expressions, and body language can all carry meaning.
Reflecting on how saying feelings out loud can reduce the need for others to guess.
Exploring what helps two people understand each other when they read emotions differently.
Negotiating Preferences | Almas Way
Noticing that two people can enjoy the same place in different ways.
Exploring how someone else might feel or see things differently from us.
Thinking about how pausing helps us consider another person's point of view.
Considering how to find a plan that suits more than one person.
Building the idea that different preferences are all okay.
Nervousness | Illumination | Sing
Noticing how nervousness can show up in the body and in behaviour.
Exploring what it looks like to take a step even when something feels scary.
Thinking about the different ways people manage big feelings before a challenge.
Considering how support from others can help someone feel ready to try.
Reflecting on how confidence can grow during an experience, not just before it.
Managing Emotions | Sesame Street | Pizza Problem
Noticing that waiting and surprises can bring up big feelings.
Exploring calm ways to help our bodies whilst we wait.
Thinking about how to name the feeling we are having.
Seeing how a grown up or friend can help when feelings get big.
Recognising that big feelings are okay and they do not last forever.
Expressing Emotions | Disney | Feelings Encanto
Noticing how Mirabel finally puts her hidden feelings into words.
Exploring how both Mirabel and Abuela are hurting and show it in different ways.
Thinking about how strong feelings can be hard to share and can come out in an argument.
Considering how naming a feeling can take courage and being honest.
Expressing Emotions | How to ADHD | Alexithymia
Noticing that not always being able to name a feeling is a common experience, not a sign that something is wrong.
Exploring how feelings can show up in the body first, as physical sensations like tension, heaviness, or restlessness, before a word is connected.
Thinking about the many different ways a person might work out what they are feeling, including through images, music, movement, or a list of options.
Considering that appearing calm or flat on the outside does not mean a person is not experiencing something on the inside.
Reflecting on how taking time to identify a feeling is a valid form of self-understanding, not avoidance.
Exploring what it means to support someone who needs more time or a different approach to working out how they feel.
Expressing Emotions | Friends
Noticing that talking about how something feels for you is different from telling someone they did something wrong, and that this difference can change how a conversation goes.
Exploring how saying something directly and calmly can be more helpful than staying silent or waiting until a feeling becomes too big.
Thinking about how something that feels playful to one person may be received differently by the other person, and that both experiences are real.
Considering that raising something uncomfortable with someone you care about can be a way of building understanding rather than creating conflict.
Reflecting on what it takes to bring up something that has been bothering you, and what makes that feel possible or harder.
Exploring what it looks and feels like to hear something like this from another person, and how to respond in a way that is supportive.
Expressing Emotions | Brooklyn 99
Noticing that people express emotions in many different ways, including through words, actions, humour, creativity, silence, or stepping back.
Exploring how the same feeling can look very different from the outside depending on how a person naturally expresses themselves.
Thinking about what it means to stay true to your own way of experiencing and expressing emotions, even when others respond differently.
Considering how pressure to express emotions in a particular way can feel similar to being asked to be someone you are not.
Reflecting on how two people with very different emotional styles can still understand and value each other.
Exploring what it looks like to make space for someone else's way of expressing feelings without needing them to change it.
Empathy | Illumination | The Lorax
Noticing how the Lorax shows his feelings without using words.
Exploring how the animals respond when they see someone they care about is upset.
Thinking about different ways people show they are sad or that something matters to them.
Considering what it means to sit with someone when they are going through something hard.
Noticing how simply being together with others can be a form of support, even without saying anything.
Exploring how we recognise emotions in others, including through body language, facial expressions, and actions.
Empathy | The Loud House
Noticing how Lily's family can tell that she feels sad and disappointed.
Exploring how the family shows they care by helping Lily feel better.
Thinking about how working together can turn a sad moment into a happy one.
Considering how doing something kind shows a person you understand their feelings.
Empathy | Sesame Street
Noticing how we can try to understand how someone else feels.
Exploring what it means to care about other people's feelings.
Considering how imagining someone's feelings helps us understand them.
Thinking about how we can notice when a friend feels sad or happy.
Exploring how empathy helps us be kind to others.
Empathy | Animation | Outdoor
Thinking about how trying different ideas and not giving up is part of what it means to genuinely help someone.
Considering that a small act of care can mean a great deal to the person who receives it.
Reflecting on what it feels like to be helped by someone, and what it feels like to be the person doing the helping.
Empathetic Listening | Disney | Inside Out
Noticing how Sadness helps Bing Bong by sitting with him and listening.
Exploring how being heard can help someone feel better.
Thinking about how Joy means well, even though cheering up does not work this time.
Considering how staying close and caring shows a friend you understand them.
Emotional Vocabulary | Sesame Street
Noticing that feelings have names, and that learning those names can help us understand ourselves and others.
Exploring how emotions can be seen in faces and bodies, and that these clues can help us recognise how someone is feeling.
Thinking about how feelings can change during the day, and that this is a normal part of everyone's experience.
Considering that all emotions are valid, including the big or uncomfortable ones like frustration or embarrassment.
Reflecting on how different people can show the same feeling in different ways.
Exploring what might help when a feeling gets very big and what we could do or say to support ourselves or a friend.
Emotional Vocabulary | Disney | Inside Out
Noticing that feelings can often be seen in faces, bodies, and voices even before anyone says a word.
Exploring feeling words and connecting them to what they look and sound like in a character.
Thinking about why a character might be feeling a certain way based on what is happening around them.
Reflecting on what it might feel like to be that character, and whether you have ever felt something similar.
Exploring what someone could say or do when they notice a friend is feeling a big feeling.
Emotional Regulation | Disney | Turning Red
Noticing how big feelings can show up in our bodies.
Exploring how slow breathing can help us feel calmer.
Considering how calming down helps us feel more in control.
Thinking about the things that help you settle when you feel upset.
Exploring how calm thoughts can change how our body feels.
Embarrassment | Disney | Dream Productions
Noticing how embarrassment can feel in the body and the mind.
Exploring how to share an honest opinion while caring about someone's feelings.
Considering different ways to say no to something you do not want.
Thinking about why something can matter to one person and not another.
Recognising that feeling embarrassed is a normal and shared experience.
Boredom | DreamWorks | Shrek
Noticing what boredom can look and feel like for different people.
Exploring different ways people try to manage a feeling of boredom.
Seeing how one person's way of coping can affect the people around them.
Thinking about how people communicate when they feel uncomfortable or restless.
Exploring what it might look like when someone's needs are not being met on a long journey.
Awkward | DreamWorks | Shrek
Noticing the small signs that help us understand the characters are feeling uncomfortable.
Exploring what can make a situation feel awkward, like meeting people for the first time.
Thinking about how people act differently when they feel awkward, such as going quiet or reacting.
Considering how a kind word or a calm response might ease an awkward moment.
Anger | DreamWorks | Forever After
Noticing how Shrek's frustration slowly builds as more and more things pile up.
Exploring how lots of small annoyances can add up to one big feeling.
Thinking about how Shrek knows himself well and can tell when he is getting angry.
Considering how feeling angry is normal and something everyone experiences.
Anger | Disney | Inside Out
Noticing that anger is a valid feeling, and that it often shows up when something feels unfair, overwhelming, or not right.
Exploring how anger can look very different from person to person, including big and loud, quiet and still, or somewhere in between.
Thinking about the clues in a body that anger might be building, like heat, tension, a fast heartbeat, or a change in breathing.
Considering that anger can sometimes be sitting on top of another feeling, like hurt, disappointment, or feeling unheard.
Reflecting on what helps when anger feels very big and what might support a person in that moment.
Acknowledging Emotions | Modern Family
Noticing that acknowledging someone's feelings does not need to be a long or complicated conversation to be meaningful.
Considering that care and empathy can be shown in many different ways.
Reflecting on what it feels like to have someone acknowledge something difficult you have been carrying, without trying to fix it.
Exploring what acknowledging emotions looks and feels like in your own natural communication style.
Acknowledging Emotions | Brooklyn 99
Noticing that acknowledging feelings can look calm, brief, or structured.
Exploring how direct and clear language can show that someone has been heard.
Considering that the same words can land differently depending on the person receiving them.
Thinking about how checking in can help when you are not sure if a message has been heard correctly.
Reflecting on the many different ways people show understanding.
Exploring what acknowledging emotions looks like in your own communication style.
Uniqueness | Animation | Mouse Sale
Noticing that something that makes someone stand out can also be what makes them special.
Exploring how being different can feel hard when others do not understand it.
Thinking about how the right person can see something as a strength that others may have overlooked.
Considering that everyone has qualities that are their own.
Reflecting on how it can feel to be noticed and accepted for who you truly are.
Uniqueness | Dead Poets Society
Noticing that people naturally move, think, communicate, and take part in different ways.
Exploring how the pull to fit in can sometimes change the way a person does things.
Thinking about the many valid ways to join in, including active participation, quiet observation, or stepping back.
Considering what it feels like to do something your own way when others are doing it differently.
Reflecting on what helps a person feel safe enough to be themselves.
Strengths and Qualities | Animation
Recognising that everyone has a natural way of thinking and contributing.
Exploring how knowing your strengths supports self-advocacy.
Considering that asking for support is a form of self-awareness, not a weakness.
Thinking about what it means to find your own way of doing things.
Strengths and Challenges | The Loud House
Noticing how different family members have different strengths.
Exploring the idea that you never know when a strength will come in handy.
Considering how the group responded to the family members when they were helpful and when they made things difficult.
Thinking about how challenges can feel different when people work through them together.
Exploring what it looks like to ask for help or step up when someone else is struggling.
Self Advocacy | Advocating Informative
Noticing that speaking up for yourself is a skill, and that like all skills it takes practise and grows over time.
Exploring the many different ways a person can let someone know what they need, including talking, writing, drawing, pointing, or using a device.
Thinking about everyday situations where self-advocacy might be useful, like asking for help, saying what you prefer, or asking for more time.
Considering that everyone has different needs and that knowing and sharing yours is something worth being proud of.
Reflecting on what it feels like when someone hears and responds to what you have asked for.
Routines | Lego Movie
Noticing how routines can help someone feel calm, organised, and ready for the day.
Exploring why predictable steps can feel safe and reassuring.
Considering how following familiar rules can help someone feel confident.
Thinking about how people might feel when a routine changes.
Exploring that there are many ways to enjoy a day, not one correct way.
Resilience | Animation | Pip
Noticing how Pip responds to challenges and what keeps her going.
Exploring what it looks like to keep trying after something does not go as hoped.
Recognising that setbacks do not have to mean the end of a goal.
Considering how people find their own ways to contribute, even when the path looks different from what was expected.
Thinking about what support, encouragement, or personal qualities help someone stay determined.
Persistence | Animation | Ormie Pig
Noticing what it looks like to keep trying even after something does not work.
Exploring how persistence can involve trying the same thing again or finding a new approach.
Thinking about how setbacks can be part of the process rather than the end of it.
Considering what keeps someone motivated when something is difficult.
Reflecting on the difference between giving up and choosing to stop.
Persistence | DreamWorks | Trolls
Noticing how Poppy keeps trying even when things go wrong.
Exploring what it means to keep going after a setback.
Considering how a positive attitude can help during hard times.
Thinking about the small steps that help you reach a big goal.
Exploring how it feels to get back up and try again.
Persistence | Animation | Give Up
Noticing what persistence looks like in action.
Exploring how emotions such as frustration, disappointment, and determination can all be part of the same experience.
Thinking about the role that support from others plays when someone is working hard toward a goal.
Exploring what it means to keep going when something feels difficult or takes longer than expected.
Perseverance | DreamWorks | Turbo
Noticing how Turbo keeps going even after his shell cracks and he feels like giving up.
Exploring how support from Chet helps Turbo find the strength to carry on.
Thinking about how a big goal can be reached one small step at a time.
Considering how trying again after a setback is a kind of bravery.
Masking | BBC
Noticing that masking is not a choice to deceive others but a strategy for navigating social situations that were not designed with one's natural communication style in mind.
Exploring how things like eye contact, tone, and conversational flow can require conscious effort and planning rather than coming naturally.
Thinking about how the ongoing effort of masking can accumulate over time and affect a person's energy, sense of self, and wellbeing.
Considering how unmasking is connected to safety and trust, and that it can happen gradually in relationships where a person feels accepted.
Reflecting on the difference between adapting communication for a situation and losing a sense of who you are in the process.
Exploring what it might mean to be truly known by another person, and what makes that kind of connection possible.
Masking | Disney | Let It Go
Noticing how hiding a part of yourself can feel heavy or tiring.
Exploring what changes when someone feels free to be themselves.
Considering how it feels to stop pretending to be someone else.
Thinking about the strengths that make each person unique.
Exploring how being true to yourself can feel powerful and freeing.
Masking | DreamWorks | Turns Ogre
Noticing how hiding your true self can feel heavy or lonely.
Exploring why someone might hide a part of who they are.
Considering how it feels to be your true self with trusted friends.
Thinking about how a kind friend can help you feel at ease.
Exploring how being honest about yourself can feel scary and brave.
Masking | Animation | Autistic Masking
Noticing that people sometimes behave differently in different places or with different people.
Exploring what it means to feel like you have to hide or change part of yourself.
Thinking about the energy it takes to act in ways that do not feel natural.
Considering how it might feel to be in a place where you can just be yourself.
Reflecting on how the people and environments around us can shape how safe we feel to be ourselves.
Masking | How to ADHD
Exploring how adjusting behaviour in social situations can take a lot of ongoing effort and attention.
Thinking about how masking can serve a purpose in some situations but over time this cost of doign this adds up.
Considering what it feels like to be in a space where you can communicate in a way that feels natural to you.
Reflecting on how the people and environments around us can make it easier or harder to be ourselves.
Exploring what it means to support someone by accepting the way they communicate rather than expecting them to adjust.
Masking | The Community
Thinking about how masking can serve a purpose in some situations while also having a personal cost.
Considering how a person might develop different ways of being around different people or in different settings.
Reflecting on what it feels like to be in a space where adapting is not needed.
Exploring what it means to accept someone's natural communication style rather than expecting them to adjust.
Impulsivity | Daniel Tiger
Noticing that big feelings like excitement can make our bodies want to move quickly.
Exploring how to enjoy an exciting moment and stay gentle with shared things.
Understanding that taking a breath can help before we act on an exciting idea.
Thinking about how our actions can change things for other people too.
Building on the idea that excitement is a good feeling we can also manage.
Impulsivity | Disney | Hockey Tryouts
Noticing how a strong feeling like anger can rise up very quickly.
Exploring what anger feels like in the body and what it makes us want to do.
Understanding that acting in the heat of the moment can lead to choices we may regret.
Thinking about ways to pause before reacting to a frustrating moment.
Building on the idea that anger is okay to feel, and there are helpful ways to show it.
Impulsivity | Willy Wonka | Veruca Salt
Noticing that impulsivity is when a feeling or want moves straight into action without a pause in between to consider if the action is a good idea.
Thinking about what a pause might look like and how it can create space to think about what may happen.
Reflecting on how the people around someone can help support the person to slow down and pause rather than just acting without thinking.
Exploring what helps a person notice the moment before they act, and what makes it easier or harder to pause first.
Asking for Help | 4 Steps
Noticing that asking for help is a skill and a form of self-advocacy, not a sign of weakness or giving up.
Exploring how knowing what you are stuck on before asking can make it easier for the other person to help you effectively.
Thinking about how reading the situation, including whether the other person is available and ready, can make a difference to the outcome.
Considering the many different ways a person can ask for help, including verbally, in writing, by pointing, or through a device.
Reflecting on what helps when frustration builds during a difficult task, and how communicating that feeling can be part of asking for support.
Exploring what it means to learn from the help you receive, and how that can build confidence for next time.
Flexible Thinking | Friends
Exploring how strong preferences about routines and environments can be a valid form of feeling safe.
Thinking about how adjusting to an unexpected change can take time, and that this is a normal experience.
Considering how the response of others can either help or add to the difficulty in a moment like this.
Reflecting on how offering an explanation, a choice, or a small step can make it easier for someone to shift their thinking.
Exploring what flexible thinking can look like in practice, including finding a middle ground rather than a complete change.
Flexible Thinking | Big Bang Theory
Noticing that strong preferences around routine and personal space can be a meaningful form of communication.
Exploring how having a reason for a preference, even a very detailed one, is a valid way of expressing what feels important.
Considering how flexible thinking is not about giving up what matters, but about finding ways to manage when things do not go as expected.
Reflecting on how the people around someone can respond in ways that either help or add to the difficulty of the moment.
Exploring what it might look like to make small adjustments while still keeping some things the same.
Flexible Thinking | Sesame Street
Noticing that flexible thinking means being able to consider more than one way of doing or seeing something.
Exploring the idea that thinking can be stretchy and bendy, just like a body can move in different ways.
Thinking about everyday situations where plans change or things do not go as expected, and what helps in those moments.
Considering that it is okay to find flexible thinking tricky at first, and that it is something that can be practised.
Reflecting on how having someone alongside you can make it easier to try a new way of thinking.
Your Crew | Animation | Laika Nemo
Noticing how meeting the right person can help someone feel understood.
Exploring how people who seem very different can still belong together.
Considering how a good friendship can help someone feel braver.
Thinking about what it feels like to be accepted just as you are.
Exploring how shared experiences can bring people close.
Your Crew | Ice Age
Noticing how a group can include people who are very different from each other.
Exploring what it feels like to belong somewhere.
Considering how trust can grow between people over time.
Thinking about the ways friends show they care and look out for each other.
Exploring that a group can become like a chosen family.
Goals | The Assembly
Noticing that dreams and goals can look very different from person to person.
Exploring how interests, strengths, and values can shape what someone hopes to do as a job.
Thinking about the many ways people share their ideas, including speaking, humour, and personal storytelling.
Considering how seeing people like yourself in different roles can support confidence and a sense of belonging.
Reflecting on what it means to picture a future that feels right for who you are.
Direct and Indirect Communication | Arthur | Indirect Communication
Noticing that some people say exactly what they mean.
Exploring how being direct can make communication clear and simple.
Seeing that two people can have different communication styles and still connect.
Thinking about what it feels like to be understood by a friend.
Considering how people can ask for what they need in different ways.
Direct and Indirect Communication | Brooklyn 99 | Indirect Communication
Exploring what direct communication looks like and how it can feel clear and honest.
Thinking about what indirect communication looks like and how it can help manage tricky moments.
Considering that people have different preferences for how they like to give and receive information.
Different Preferences | Daniel Tiger | Class Votes
Noticing that people in a group can have different preferences.
Understanding that voting is one fair way to make a group choice.
Exploring how it feels when a choice does not match what you wanted.
Thinking about ways to find something good in a different outcome.
Building on the idea that your choice still matters, even when the group chooses something else.
Deep Interests | Lego Movie | Spaceship
Noticing how much Benny loves spaceships and how happy building one makes him.
Exploring how a deep interest can bring someone a lot of joy and energy.
Thinking about how Benny's spaceship knowledge becomes really useful to his friends.
Considering how a deep interest can turn into a strength that helps other people.
Deep Interests | Ice Age | Acorn Troubles
Noticing how much Scrat cares about his acorn and how focused he is on it.
Exploring how having a special interest can give someone energy and determination.
Thinking about how everyone has their own things they care deeply about.
Considering how a strong interest can help someone keep trying, even when things get tricky.
Deep Interests | Arthur
Noticing that some people have a special thing they love and know lots and lots about.
Exploring what it looks like when someone is really excited to share what they love.
Thinking about how it feels to talk about something you love with someone else.
Considering that everyone has different things they love, and that is what makes each person special.
Reflecting on what it looks like to be a good listener when a friend shares something they love.
Deep Interests | Big Bang Theory | Bang Space
Noticing that a special interest can act as a bridge into conversation, giving a person a confident and energised way to engage.
Considering that connecting topics to a special interest is one way of sharing who you are and what matters to you.
Reflecting on what it looks and feels like when a conversation creates space for more than one person's interests.
Exploring how curiosity about someone's special interest can open up a conversation.
Deep Interests | Little Lunch | Stretcho
Noticing how Battie talks about Stretcho with deep knowledge, excitement, and pride.
Thinking about how a special interest can make a person feel.
Exploring how people have different interests and how these change over time.
Identifying own preferences and being able to self-advocate.
Deep Interests | Big Bang Theory | Bang Trains
Noticing that a special interest can bring a strong sense of joy, energy, and depth of knowledge to a person.
Exploring how two people in the same conversation can have very different levels of interest in the topic being discussed.
Thinking about how checking in with the other person is one way to keep a conversation feeling connected for both people.
Considering that sharing a special interest is a valid and meaningful form of communication, even when the other person does not share the same enthusiasm.
Reflecting on what it might feel like to be on either side of this kind of conversation.
Exploring what small signals might let someone know the other person is still engaged, or is beginning to drift.
Deep Interests | Big Bang Theory | Bang Penny
Exploring how the same conversation can feel very different depending on whether each person's needs are being met.
Considering what it might feel like to arrive at a conversation with a specific need and leave without it being heard.
Exploring how sharing a special interest can be more motivating.
Acceptance | Little Lunch | Detention
Noticing how even though Rory gets in to trouble at times, his friends accept him for who he is.
The friends decided to cheer Rory up and each child uses something they are good at.
Exploring how a personal interest or skill, like drawing or telling jokes, can be shared with others.
Thinking about how the things we love can become a way to connect with someone.
Considering how accepting others for who they are can help them feel happy.
Confidence | Illumination | Sing Mike
Noticing the difference between feeling proud of a skill and putting others down.
Exploring what it looks like when confidence tips into unkind behaviour.
Thinking about how someone's attitude can affect the people around them.
Reflecting on what it feels like to be around someone who is confident in a kind way versus an unkind way.
Confidence | DreamWorks | Moto Moto
Exploring what it looks like when someone is so focused on themselves that they may not show much interest in others.
Thinking about what makes someone enjoyable to be around.
Considering how confidence can look and feel different depending on how it is expressed.
Reflecting on what it means to show genuine interest in another person.
Emotional Regulation | Sesame Street
Noticing that plans sometimes change in ways we did not expect.
Exploring how a new plan can still be fun.
Thinking of creative ideas to make a change feel better.
Seeing how family and friends can help when plans change.
Recognising the feelings that can come up when things change.
Believe in Yourself | Illumination | Johnny Singing
Noticing how Johnny shows confidence while he performs.
Considering how practice can turn something hard into something you enjoy.
Exploring how others can believe in you or doubt you.
Thinking about how it feels to be encouraged by friends.
Recognising that believing in yourself can help you do your best.
Believe in Yourself | Illumination | DK Fight
Exploring what courage looks like in the face of great adversity.
Noticing that strengths come in different forms, such as size and strength versus speed and agility.
Thinking about how encouragement from others can shift the way we see ourselves.
Exploring the idea that persistence can be a strength, even if it does not feel like one at the time.
Believe in Yourself | Disney | Police Academy
Noticing how Judy keeps going when something feels hard.
Exploring how believing in yourself can help you chase a goal.
Considering how practice and effort can build new skills over time.
Thinking about ways to use your own strengths to solve a problem.
Recognising that a big dream can still feel possible, even when others doubt it.
Authentic Self | Happy Feet
Noticing what it looks like when someone is fully themselves.
Exploring how joy and self-expression can be expressed in different ways.
Thinking about what it feels like to do something you love, even if it is different from what others do.
Considering how the people or world around us can affect how we feel about our own way of being.
Exploring what it means to have a talent or way of expressing yourself that others may not immediately understand.
Authentic Self | The Assembly
Noticing that feeling different is a common experience.
Exploring what it means to be true to yourself and express who you are.
Thinking about how all communication styles and ways of being are worth celebrating.
Considering how the people around us can either support or discourage our sense of self.
Reflecting on what it feels like when someone sees and values you for who you truly are.
Authentic Self | The Loud House | City Slickers
Exploring why someone might feel the need to change or hide things about themselves to fit in.
Noticing the difference between what Ronnie Anne hopes will happen and what actually happens when she tells the truth.
Thinking about what it means to be honest with friends about who you are and where you come from.
Considering how it might feel to worry that people will not like you for who you really are.
Noticing how Lincoln handles the situation and what being true to himself looks like for him.
Exploring how friendships can grow stronger when people are honest.
Authentic Self | Little Lunch | Up Day
Noticing how two friends can enjoy very different things.
Exploring how it feels good to do what suits you.
Considering how people can be friends and still like different activities.
Thinking about the activities that make you feel most like yourself.
Exploring how there is no single right way to spend your time.
Authentic Self | Wonder
Noticing how people choose to describe and present themselves.
Exploring the idea that who you are is more than how you look or act.
Considering what makes someone uniquely themselves.
Thinking about how it can take courage to be yourself in a new place.
Recognising that everyone has different interests they may wish to share with others.
Assertive Communication | How to ADHD
Exploring the many different ways assertiveness can look, including direct language, written communication, asking for processing time, or setting a limit calmly.
Thinking about how saying no or asking for something you need is a form of self-respect rather than being difficult or demanding.
Considering how checking in with the other person, such as asking whether now is a good time to talk, is itself a form of assertive and considerate communication.
Reflecting on low-stakes moments where assertive communication might be easier to practise before using it in more challenging situations.
Exploring what assertive communication looks and feels like for you personally, and how that may be different from what it looks like for others.
Asking for Help | Daniel Tiger
Noticing that it is okay when something does not work straight away and that trying again is a good thing to do.
Exploring how asking for help is a brave and helpful thing to do.
Thinking about how a grown up or friend can help us when we are stuck on something.
Considering that everyone needs help sometimes, even with small things, and that is perfectly okay.
Reflecting on how it feels when we ask for help and someone helps us.
Neurodiversity | How to ADHD
Building understanding of what neurodiversity means and how it applies to the way all brains work differently from person to person.
Exploring how neurodivergent thinking styles bring distinct strengths and perspectives to learning, work, and daily life.
Considering how environments and supports shape the way a person is able to participate, learn, and express themselves.
Reflecting on what it means to see neurological difference as a natural part of human variation rather than something to be fixed.
Dyslexia | BBC | Interview
Exploring the personal strengths Suiki connects to her dyslexia, including creativity and pattern recognition.
Considering how the people around us can help us feel safe enough to talk about our individual learning styles including how we process information.
Thinking about how storytelling can be a creative tool to help someone share their experiences that can be hard to put into words.
Autism | Sesame Street | Explained Autism
Noticing that everyone plays, learns, and communicates in their own way.
Exploring what makes each person special and amazing.
Understanding that some people are autistic, which can mean they do some things differently.
Thinking about how to be a kind and welcoming friend to everyone.
Building on the idea that being different should be valued.
Autism | Ted Talk | Masha Pavlova
Exploring why autistic women and girls are often identified later than autistic men and boys.
Reflecting on the long-term impact of masking on a person's wellbeing and sense of identity.
Considering what it means to receive a diagnosis as an adult after years of not having language to describe your experience.
Thinking about the difference between fitting in and genuinely belonging.
Noticing how societal expectations can shape the way people present themselves over time.
Autism | Ted Talk | Kalen Sieja
Exploring how autistic communication styles, including directness and literal thinking, can be strengths rather than deficits.
Considering how assumptions about communication can create barriers and what it might look like to challenge those assumptions.
Noticing how a less biased, logic-driven approach to communication can reduce misunderstanding between people.
Reflecting on the value of retaining curiosity, humour, and passion as qualities that enrich communication across all ages.
Thinking about what it means to have your communication style seen as a contribution rather than a problem to be fixed.
Autism | Interview | Adults NBA
Thinking about what it can mean to receive an autism diagnosis as an adult and how it can shift understanding of a lifetime of experiences.
Considering how cultural background and community context can affect whether and how a person accesses diagnosis and support.
Exploring how traits such as deep focus and strong interests can be central to a person's identity and achievements.
Reflecting on what it means to support someone without trying to change who they are.
Noticing that a diagnosis does not define what a person is capable of and that assumptions about ability can be limiting.
Autism | BBC | One Way
Considering what it means to understand that communication breakdowns between autistic and non-autistic people can go both ways, and that both may need to adapt.
Thinking about how reframing past experiences through the lens of a diagnosis can support self-compassion and a stronger sense of identity.
Exploring how behaviours that are often misread, such as quietness, directness, or reduced eye contact, can reflect processing differences rather than disinterest or rudeness.
Reflecting on the range of ways autistic people communicate and why there is no single correct way to connect or express meaning.
Noticing how greater understanding of neurodiversity in the people around us can reduce misinterpretation and build more genuine connection.
Autism | BBC | Demystifying Autism
Thinking about the range of ways sensory experiences differ across senses and how this varies from person to person.
Considering how sensory behaviours such as avoiding spaces, seeking certain textures, or covering ears can communicate a need, preference, or level of comfort.
Reflecting on how sensory needs that go unrecognised can be misinterpreted, and what a more informed response might look like.
Exploring what personalised strategies and environmental adjustments can make a real difference to everyday comfort and wellbeing.
Noticing the difference between sensory distress and sensory seeking, and why both are valid parts of the autistic experience.
Autism | Sesame Street | Sensory Difference
Noticing that people can feel comfortable in different ways.
Exploring how small changes can help someone join in and feel at ease.
Thinking about how sights, sounds and textures can feel different for each person.
Seeing how a new friend can be welcomed by following what they enjoy.
Recognising that there is no single right way to play.
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