ELSA Support Stories for Autism and ADHD – Item 776

10 Neuroaffirming ELSA Support Stories for Autism and ADHD

Support autistic and ADHD learners with this set of 10 ELSA Support Stories, each paired with a simple, low-demand supporting activity sheet. These resources are designed to help children understand everyday school experiences in a calm, structured and accessible way.

UPDATE we now have a second pack of these stories here

Each story helps children explore what might happen in common situations, recognise their own responses, and consider supportive strategies that may help them feel more regulated and ready to learn.

Alongside each story is a carefully designed visual activity, such as colouring, simple choice-based tasks, or drawing-based responses, allowing children to engage in a way that reduces pressure and supports communication in a non-verbal or low-verbal format.

What’s included:

• 10 ELSA Support Stories
• 10 matching simple activity sheets (one per story)
• Consistent 4-part story structure:
  • About my day
  • What might happen
  • What can I do
  • Remember
• Low-demand, accessible activity formats
• Neuroaffirming, supportive language throughout

Topics covered:

• When I feel worried
• When I feel angry
• When it feels too loud
• When I need my own space
• When my brain feels full
• When I need to fidget or move
• When I am given too many instructions
• When I don’t want to join in
• When my brain feels stuck
• When my day changes

How this resource supports learners:

These support stories and activities help children to:

• understand school experiences in a safe, structured way
• recognise and communicate feelings and needs
• access simple, visual ways of responding
• develop self-regulation strategies over time
• build confidence and independence in daily school life

They are especially helpful for autistic and ADHD learners who benefit from predictable structure, visual learning, and reduced language load.

They are also suitable for all children, as the strategies and visuals support emotional understanding, regulation skills, and communication in a wide range of classroom settings.

Ideal for:

• ELSA sessions
• SEN support
• 1:1 interventions
• small group work
• pastoral teams
• classroom regulation support
• neurodiversity-friendly environments

Please note:

This resource uses simple, accessible stories paired with visual activities to support understanding, regulation, and communication in a calm and structured way.