Power Card

Autism, Behavior

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A visual support that leverages a student’s special interest as motivation to teach a skill or encourage a behavior.

When to Use: 

  • Support students who have difficulty with routines, behavioral expectations, understanding social language, or unspoken social “rules.”
  • Help students who struggle to make choices between two or more options or who have difficulty understanding cause-and-effect relationships.
  • Encourage the generalization of skills across different environments.
  • Motivate students who appear disengaged but have a strong special interest.
  • Reinforce concepts by pairing Power Cards with Social Narratives for added context and support.

How to Use: 

  1. Select a Skill or Behavior - Choose a specific behavior or skill to teach or strengthen, such as social interaction, self-regulation, academic engagement, or classroom routines.  
  2. Identify the Student’s Special Interest - Choose characters, topics, or themes that the student finds highly engaging.  
  3. Create a Social Narrative - Write and illustrate a short social story that explains how a character successfully demonstrates the targeted skill in a real-life scenario.   
  4. Design the Power Card -
    • Include the image or illustration of the student’s special interest.
    • Write a few simple, positive statements that reinforce key points from the social narrative.
    • Ensure the card is portable and easy to reference.
  5. Introduce and Review the Power Card - Before the behavior is needed, review the Power Card with the student to reinforce expectations.  
  6. Provide Feedback and Reinforcement - Give positive feedback on the student’s use of the skill, encouraging continued success.  

Tips: 

  • Power Cards work best when used alongside Social Narratives, reinforcing concepts in a personalized and engaging way.
  • Focus on what the student should do rather than what they should not do.
  • Use frequent practice opportunities, including role-playing, to reinforce skills in real-life settings.

Variations: 

  • Classroom-Wide Use - Incorporate Power Cards into whole-class social-emotional learning strategies.
  • Multiple Formats - Use digital Power Cards on tablets or interactive whiteboards for students who benefit from technology.
  • Different Sizes - Create wallet-sized Power Cards for discreet, on-the-go use.

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