Problem-solving pragmatic language resource for teaching about sizes of problems and a variety of coping strategies for handling feelings of anger or worry. This was created by a speech-language pathologist with training in social skills intervention, not a counselor or psychologist; however I did consult with a licensed professional counselor who has anger management expertise so as to include strategies that can be used with children. This is not intended to replace counseling for anger management or anxiety, just as an introduction to identifying emotions and using coping strategies which can improve social skills (i.e., by reducing impulsivity, having negative effects on peer relationships, etc.) This resource can be used to:
•Teach the student about problems and the fact that problems can be small, medium, or large (page 3)
•Teach the student to think about different aspects of a problem to help determine its severity (page 4)
•Provide visuals that can be used to think about sizes of problems (slides 5-6); these can be used with the hypothetical problems on pages 24-38
•Teach a variety of coping strategies or tools that can be used when the student feels angry or anxious (overview on page 7, in depth descriptions of each on slides 8-19)
•Provide suggestions for creating a calm down corner (page 20)
•Identify problematic situations that might make the student feel worried or angry as well as strategies they might use (pages 21-22)
•Help the student develop their own toolbox or list of coping strategies that they will use when they feel angry or anxious (page 23)
•Teach the student to journal in order to reflect on problematic situations and effectiveness of coping strategies (page 24)
•Identify the size of a problem, how it might make the student feel, and discuss possible ways to solve each problem given scenarios (pages 25-39)