Help children with autism recognize emotions and learn coping strategies with these 128 “I CAN / I CAN’T” SEL cards. Includes 8 core emotions, real photos, and easy-to-use pages for emotional regulation and self-awareness.

Support your students with autism and special educational needs as they build emotional understanding and social-emotional learning (SEL) skills.

This Core Emotions Activities Pack covers 8 essential emotions every child should learn to identify and manage: Frustrated, Angry, Sad, Excited, Worried, Scared, Happy, and Proud.

Each emotion is presented across 3 structured pages designed for clarity and engagement:

Emotion Recognition, 4 real-life photos showing the emotion clearly.
“I CAN” Page,Positive coping strategies and self-regulation ideas.
“I CAN’T” Page, Behaviours to avoid and social boundaries.

What’s Included:

24 printable activity pages (3 per emotion)
128 cards in total
Real photos on plain white backgrounds (no distractions)
Short, simple American English sentences
Teacher and parent instructions

How to Use:

Introduce one emotion at a time.
Start with the recognition page, then discuss the “I CAN” strategies.
Use role play or visual modelling to reinforce coping skills.
Review the “I CAN’T” page to set clear behaviour expectations.
Laminate the pages for long-term classroom or therapy use.
Store in a binder or emotion learning centre.

Perfect For:

Autism & Special Education classrooms
Speech therapy sessions
ABA therapy
SEL lessons
Counselling groups and circle time
Home or clinical use

Why Teachers Love It:

✔ Clear, real-life visuals for children with autism
✔ Promotes emotional regulation and positive behaviour
✔ Easy integration into existing SEL or therapy plans
✔ Reusable, low-prep, and visually accessible

Author’s Note:

This resource was designed to be clear, inclusive, and child-friendly.
All visuals are AI-generated with full commercial rights and created on plain white backgrounds, no brands, logos, text, or trademarks.

If you find this resource helpful, please consider leaving a review or following my TES store for updates on future autism and SEL tools.