Learning how to advocate for one's needs is important. Especially at school or at work where specific supports or accommodations might need to be in place in order to be successful in that environment.
Perhaps you already have some specific self advocacy scripts that you use verbally. However, sometimes, situational mutism or expressive language difficulties can make it challenging to communicate your needs orally.
In that case, you can use these free printable support needs cards to communicate your needs, without having to rely on mouth words. Instead, you can use written words on these cards to relay a specific message and make a request for help.
About the Free Printable Support Needs Cards
Designed to help with self advocacy skills, these cards can help kids, teens, and even adults communicate their support needs to those around them. For instance, they can be used to help students communicate to teachers, employees to employers, kids to coaches, and so much more.
These support cards are versatile and are great for:
- School, home, or workplaces
- Those who are able to write independently (although there are a few options for younger kids and/or those unable to write independently)
- Those who are easily overwhelmed, experience situational mutism, and/or have expressive language difficulties with mouth words
- Children, teens, and adults
In this pack, there are 10 different options to choose from to fit a variety of situations, needs, and preferences. The options include:
- Wording #1: What I want you to know / How you can help
- Wording #2: I need to tell you / How you can support me
- Wording #3: Here's what's going on / Here's what would help
- Wording #4: Here's how I'm feeling / What I need
- Wording #5: My message / My request
- Wording #6: I need help with / What works for me
- Blank: So you can write your own phrases, draw your own emojis or coping tools, add pictures, etc.
- Visual Option #1: Features 5 emojis and one blank face and 9 example coping tools and strategies (headphones, fidget, stop/break, visuals/AAC, water, more time, movement, books, chewelry)
- Visual Option #2 (hyperlexia edition!): Features 5 emojis and one blank face and 9 example coping tools and strategies that appeal to hyperlexic learners (visuals/AAC, whiteboard or writing tablet/drawing, books, letter toys, calculator, number toys, word puzzles, iPad/screen time, closed captions)
- Visual Option #3: Features 5 emojis and one blank face and a blank space to add your own coping strategies and tools
Suggestions for How to Use these Support Cards
While these support cards were originally intended to be used within the classroom, they certainly aren't limited to that environment. Here are a few suggestions on how you might use this visual support:
- Laminate and tape it to a school (or work) desk. Pair it with a dry erase marker. Then fill it in as needed throughout the school (or work) day and erase as needed.
- Laminate and add one velcro dot in each box. Then make some picture cards that can fit in the boxes, laminate them, and add a velcro dot to the back of the picture cards.
- Fill in a couple examples for a variety of different skills or activities that you or your child might need support with. You could then laminate them and keep them in a folder or binder to pull out as needed. Alternatively, you could assemble the pages into a little booklet that you or your child could then flip through as needed.
- Is there a substitute teacher? Fill in one of the pages that make sense (e.g., "What I want you to know/How you can help" or "I need to tell you/How you can best support me" are perfect for this!) and hand it to the teacher at the start of the school day.
- Starting camp, daycare, or some extracurricular activity (i.e., sports or music lessons)? Fill in one of the pages that make sense (e.g., "What I want you to know/How you can help" or "I need to tell you/How you can best support me" are perfect for this!) and hand it to the instructor or coach at the start of the camp, lessons, etc.
- Use at home when doing homework, similar to how it might be used within the classroom.
- Use them for social situations too, where sensory overload might be common (e.g., birthday parties) and supports might be necessary for success. You can fill in one of the pages, similar to the suggestions above for substitute teachers or extracurricular activities.
- For the ones with visuals, they could be laminated and paired with a dry erase marker. Then you could simply circle or color the emoji and coping tool you need. Or, you could simply point to the emoji and coping tool instead.
Download the Free Printable
