Empower your classroom with the gift of understanding and inclusion! 🫶
This coloring book story is designed to help elementary-aged learners understand neurodiversity through the lens of friendship. No one chooses how their brain is built, it's just how we are born! Help your students celebrate what makes each of them unique and build a classroom where everyone is accepted for exactly who they are.
Our brains are like cameras, and for some of our friends, that camera has a very special "zoom" button. Friends with Special Interests is an engaging coloring book story designed to invite elementary-aged learners on an adventure of friendship and neurodiversity.
Created by a certified special education advocate and paraeducator, this social story demystifies complex concepts like Autism, ADHD, Hyperfocus, and Executive Functioning using child-friendly language and relatable analogies. Whether it's "The Builders" mastering complex LEGO sets or "The Experts" who know every train schedule by heart, this book celebrates the "superpowers" that come with thinking differently.
Inside this coloring book story, students will discover:
✶ The Zoom Button Analogy: A simple way to understand how hyperfocus works and why friends might not notice what’s happening around them.
✶ The "Why" Behind the Move: An introduction to stimming and sensory needs, explaining how rocking or tapping helps friends stay balanced and happy.
✶ Executive Functioning & Social Skills: Gentle explanations for why some friends might forget instructions or miss social cues, and how classmates can support them with kindness.
✶ Interactive Learning: Features a "What’s the Answer?" quiz at the end to reinforce learning and a creative space for students to draw their own special interests.
Perfect for:
✶ Inclusive Classrooms: A tool for teachers to foster a culture of "Teamwork" where every student feels they belong.
✶ Families & Siblings: A gentle way to start conversations at home about neurodevelopmental differences.
✶ Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Teaches students how to use "gentle reminders" and inclusive invitations like, "Do you want to join in?"
Digital Download Includes:
✶ PDF file
✶ 15+ pages of story and illustrations for coloring.
✶ Interactive review questions (The "Brave Guesses" Edition).
✶ "We All Love Different Things" drawing prompt.
✶ "I Include Everyone" coloring page.
Instant digital download:
✶ This is a digital download so no physical product will be shipped. After purchase you will receive a link to download your files and can print them for your personal, classroom, organization or single-clinic use. Please, no editing, redistribution, or resale.
✶ Due to the nature of digital products, all sales are final; please see the Terms and Conditions for full licensing and usage details.
✨PLUS✨
Celebrate the "Superpowers" of the brain! 🧠🎉
In our classrooms, every student brings a unique way of thinking and learning to the team. This interactive resource is designed to help elementary-aged learners understand neurodiversity through the lens of friendship and support.
This presentation takes complex topics like Autism and ADHD and turns them into a kid-friendly adventure. Using relatable analogies- like a camera’s "zoom button" for hyperfocus- it helps classmates understand why some friends focus deeply on what they love.
Key features:
✶ The Unique Brain: A gentle introduction to how neurodevelopmental differences can make learning, focusing, or communicating look a little different.
✶ Understanding Hyperfocus: Explaining that when a friend is "zoomed in" on an interest, they aren't ignoring others—they are just deep in concentration.
✶ The "Why" Behind Stimming: Teaching students that movements like rocking or tapping are tools that help their friends feel calm and happy.
✶ Executive Functioning Tools: A simple look at the brain's tools for planning and why some friends might need extra effort to switch tasks.
✶ Social Skills & Support: Practical ways to include everyone, such as using gentle name reminders or inviting a friend to join a game.
What's included (instant digital download):
✶ PDF: PDF file that includes a Canva link for instant presentation access.
✶ 24 Slide Presentation: A comprehensive guide to understanding neurodiversity.
✶ Slides 1-15: Friends with Special Interests story and core concepts.
✶ Slides 16-24: Fun Interactive Quiz (The "Brave Guesses" Edition).
✶ Instant Access: Get your resource immediately after purchase.
✶ Classroom-Friendly: Designed specifically for elementary learners.
✶ Works on Any Device: Perfect for smartboards, tablets, or computers.
Instant digital download:
✶This is a digital download so no physical product will be shipped. After purchase you will receive a link to download your files and can print them for your personal, classroom, organization or single-clinic use.
✶Due to the nature of digital products, all sales are final; please see the Terms and Conditions for full licensing and usage details.
(For classroom use only. Please, no editing, redistribution, or resale).
