Techniques to help players manage their behaviours and emotions (2024)

Emotion cue cards

Communicate the structure of your session by using flashcards and structure boards.

You can use them to show the flow of practices in pictures, so players know what to expect. Doing this supports the players who need routine, helping them feel safe and secure.

You can download flashcards here.

Like a structure board, this technique helps players understand what to expect. It focuses on what's happening first and what will follow next.

Use this technique to break down instructions and support communication when a player is unsettled.

Traffic lights can communicate when an activity is going to end. It helps players understand when they need to move to something else and avoids activities coming to an abrupt stop.

Try following this method:

Green = we're playing.

Amber = we're about to stop.

Red = we've finished.

To provide fun and appropriate sessions for every player, you should get to know them. A player passport can be used to get vital information about each individual.

Ask the player and their parents or carers to complete the passport. It will then tell you who they are, what they like, why they might get upset, what this looks like and how to respond. They may even already have communication or behaviour support strategies that they use at home and in school.

Knowing this information will help you manage your sessions and enhance each player's experience by making them feel safe and secure.

Download the player passport here.