For months we have been trying to find a way to help with Teddie’s anxieties. While we have been looking for ways to help we have overlooked the emotions that come with these issues. Unlocking his emotions may well be the key to supporting him with his current anxieties.

There are a trillion different techniques for learning and discovering feelings online & in books but implementing them is no way as easy as its mentioned.

Emotions are traditionally fractionated into six ‘basic’ emotions;

• Happy
• Sad
• Angry
• Afraid
• Disgusted
• Surprised

Helping Teddie express his emotions when needing to use unfamiliar toilets we may have a better understanding of how he’s feeling.

We do not understand why using certain toilets affect him the way they do, he has the fear on his face whenever I even whisper the word toilet. We want Teddie to be in control of his feelings & have the ability to tell us when he’s scared, sad or happy!

We are aiming to focus on the main 4 emotions first, Happy, sad, angry & afraid I have also added “poorly”. Teddie knows when someone else is unwell but are very reluctant to brand himself whenever he is poorly.

Visual has always been everything for Teddie, we have made PECS cards for all six emotions, the school are focusing purely on the main 4 while we will cover the 6 at home. I have made cartoon PEC’s cards & family PEC’s cards showing the different emotions.

If we make learning the emotion fun enough Teddie will know them by the end of the week, Teddie learns things at a ridiculous rate.

I will start with a word bingo game followed by saying an emotion and get Teddie to pick the corresponding card. These learning techniques have proven well in the past. Teddie loves to play word & number bingo, I’m confident he’ll love this game just as much. 

Once Teddie understands his emotions we will create the Emotions Wall, Teddie can use it when he is experiencing an emotion that he is struggling to express.

Last week we met with Teddie’s teacher, senco, specialist teacher and his EP (educational psychologist) to complete another one plan.

The specialist teacher will be in discussion with the class teacher and see him every term, the EP will use puppets to help communicate Teddie worries and fears. With these professionals helping we may have enough to apply for an EHCP next term, fingers crossed.

We love our Bear and wouldn’t have him any other way