Help Your Child Say I Feel & I Need a Break: 120 Emotion Picture Cards for Autism & Calm Down

Big feelings coming out as meltdowns, hitting or tears? When a child cannot find the words yet, a picture can help. Point to "I feel angry", "I need a break" or "When I feel worried, I can take deep breaths" and talk about it together.

120 printable feelings and social skills picture cards for toddlers, preschoolers and children who are autistic, non-speaking or just learning to talk. Clear, simple pictures on a white background, with one word or short phrase under each picture.

WHAT YOU GET (15 PAGES)

• 120 picture cards, 2 x 2 inches (5 cm), in 10 color-coded groups of 12:
• Basic Feelings, Big Feelings, Body Clues, Calm Down Tools, Social Skills
• Kind Words and Actions, Problems, Needs, Friendship, Feelings at School and Home
• 12 blank cards for your child's own feelings, people or calm down ideas
• Sentence strips: I feel... / I need... / When I feel..., I can... / Let's try...!
• 2 checklist pages with every card, to track new words
• How to use page: name the feeling, feelings check-in, calm plans, practice getting along
• 2 PDF files: US Letter (US words) and A4 (Australian / New Zealand words such as toilet and queue), plus a printing guide

HOW TO USE

1. Print at 100% scale (Actual size), laminate if you like, and cut out the cards.
2. When your child is calm, look at the feeling cards together and make the faces in a mirror.
3. Do a quick feelings check-in in the morning or after school: "I feel..."
4. Choose 2 or 3 calm down cards and make a plan: "When I feel angry, I can squeeze a ball."
5. Act out the social skills cards with toys: take turns, say sorry, ask to play.

MATCHING SETS

All cards are 2 x 2 inches, the same size and style as my Communication Cards, School Cards and First Words cards, so you can mix them on the same boards.

PLEASE NOTE

• This is a digital download. No physical item will be shipped.
• The files are PDFs and are not editable.
• These cards are a visual support for everyday talk at home and in class. They are not therapy and do not replace the advice of your child's doctor, therapist or teacher.
• Colors may look slightly different depending on your screen and printer.
• The pictures were created by me with the help of AI tools, then selected, cleaned up and laid out for print.

TERMS OF USE

For personal, classroom and therapy use. You may print as many copies as you need for your own home, class or clients. Files may not be resold, shared or redistributed.

If there is any problem with your files, send me a message and I will fix it for you. This does not affect your rights under consumer law.