We understand how difficult it can be when the school day doesn’t go as planned—when behavioral challenges derail even your best intentions in both general and special education classrooms. The frustration is real, and it’s compounded by the fact that many of the students we work with, especially those with autism and behavior needs, struggle with skills they’ve never been explicitly taught. We often expect students to meet our expectations without first teaching them the tools they need to succeed.
You know exactly what this looks like if you have faced challenges with:
- autism and aggressive behavior
-elopement or running from the group
-poor choice making
- behavior autism classrooms see, but would like to see less of
Honestly, behavior support isn’t just helpful, it is an essential part of the learning that occurs. Behavior support is huge right now, with many schools implementing school-wide interventions to encourage positive behaviors. Teachers often set up class-wide systems for behavior management, but even with these supports in place, some students require more individualized strategies tailored to their needs.
Students with autism, in particular, often benefit from direct instruction in behavior skills. They may also may need targeted behavior IEP goals to address their unique challenges, such as self-regulation, transitions, or interactions with peers. That’s why we have developed Behavior Skills Printables to provide practical tools for educators.
These printables are designed to meet the needs of students with autism behavior challenges by offering clear, structured, easy to use, worksheets that focus on building foundational skills. Whether you’re addressing autism and behavior concerns in a general education setting or working directly with an autistic child behaviors are usually a top priority. This resource I am going to show you provides valuable support to help your students grow and thrive.
By equipping students with the skills they need—and providing the direct instruction they deserve—you can create a more positive and productive classroom environment for everyone. We also have I Need a Break Cards, Behavior Plan Packs and Transition supports. But for now, let's take a look at the Behavior Skills supports.
The Behavior Skills Printables for Students with Autism & Similar Special Needs are available now.
They are also available in the Social Skills Bundle, with other resources for addressing behavioral challenges and behavior IEP goals here.
The Behavior Skills Printables offer easy, printable behavior management worksheets about for self-control, transitions, work behaviors in the classroom and guidance for being around others.
These behavior skills printables will work well for any students whose special needs include developmental delays, behavioral issues and challenges with following directions or it may work for younger students in primary grades learning to be more aware of their behavior. Take a look below.
The printables can supplement any curriculum or they can be used daily as a discussion for behavior autism support classrooms can use. Any autistic child behavior profile can be anywhere from calm, to friendly, to unfocused, to aggressive, but no matter what the challenge, you want to move the student forward. These may help a child with autism and behavior support needs in beginning to develop and build social skills as they relate to behavior. Some of the pages provide autism behavior strategies in disguise. Meaning that although the worksheets are for the students, you may pick up some behavior skills training strategies for your teacher toolbox. This packet includes behavior skills related worksheets that require variations in response styles for many answers. (Ex. matching, cutting, circling, and pasting.)
Although a lot of people think autism and behavior go hand in hand, this is not the case for many people with autism. You just need to target whatever the individual needs of the student are. With the worksheet, use them in order or out of order to address any skill that is needed at the time.
The skills are broken up into 4 sections: Self-Monitoring, Transitions, Work Behaviors and Being Around Others. These pages are included:
SELF-MONITORING
Self Control
Self-Control Cards
In Control or Out of Control?
Self-Control 2
Self Monitoring
Self-Monitoring Checklist 1
Self-Monitoring Checklist 2
Emotional Control
Staying Seated in Class
Is This Good Behavior?
Behavior Choices (Field of 2)
Breathe In, Breathe Out
Count to Ten
These are Things That Help Me…
These are Things That Calm Me…
How I Feel
What Should She Do?
Classroom Rules
Organize This Desk
TRANSITIONS
What Order is This?
A Change in the Schedule
Making A Schedule
Cards to Help with Change
Making a Reading Schedule
Make Your Own Reading Schedule
Ways to Ask for the Bathroom
Bathroom Routine
Groups
What’s the Deal with Transition?
During Math Tina Does This
Mini Schedule Template
Transition Phrases
Group Directions
Group Directions vs. Individual Directions
Waiting Area
Standing in Line
Who is Lining Up Correctly?
Hallway Behaviors
Transition Objects
Can you Carry That?
WORK BEHAVIORS
Finish the Pattern (Work First, Then Play)
I am Working For It !
Make Your Own Incentive Chart
Expected Behaviors for Work Time
Alternatives to Hitting
Behaviors for Work Time
Interfering Behaviors
Using Headphones to Cancel Noise
Request a Break
Off Task (Visual Cue)
Activity Schedule
First, Next Schedule
3 Steps to Following Directions
These are Things That I Would Work For…
Task Analysis
Avoid Task Avoidance
BEING AROUND OTHERS
Stamp Out Un-Expected Behaviors (Bring in Expected Behaviors)
Non-Edible Objects
Good Behavior
I Don’t Want to Do This
Hands Off
Aggressive Behaviors
You Want to get an Item: What Can you Do?
Nodding Yes or No
What is a Tantrum?
Why is He Doing This?
Giving Up a Turn on Technology
Drinking Your Own Drink
What Can I do With My Hands?
It’s Too Loud in Here
Not all of the Time
Exercise
What Helps Me Calm Down?
Behavior Words
Keeping Property Safe
Keeping Property Safe 2
Students can practice ways to answer yes and no appropriately. Autism and agressive behavior can have such a huge impact on the day to day routines. What if by teaching a proper way to respond, you can decrease behaviors even by a little?
Or, think about why someone may engage in a behavior, offering a glimpse into why they might possibly engage in a behavior. There is also a chance for students to think about and express some positive ways they can try to calm themselves.
When you are teaching students with autism and behavior challenges, it might be helpful to see what they can let you know about things that help them calm down. Here is a look at the page related to ways to calm.
So if behavior IEP goals and objectives are part of your student's education, these printables may offer a great start to teaching the behavior skills training that you are looking to provide.