Coping Skills Cards for Kids — 24 Printable Calm Down Cards | ADHD Autism Emotional Regulation

You don't need the whole plan. You need the next card.

24 cut-out coping cards in four families — move, breathe, senses, and people — plus how to work out which family a moment needs. For ADHD and autistic kids ages 5–10.

Coping cards fail for one predictable reason: they get introduced during a meltdown. A brand-new strategy offered to a dysregulated child is just one more demand. These are built to be boring and familiar before they're needed.

What's inside — 6 pages, US Letter

• Move & breathe cards (12) — push the wall, ten big jumps, carry something heavy, smell the flower, blow out the candle
• Senses & people cards (12) — cold water on your wrists, block out the noise, wrap up tight, ask for a hug, "I need a minute"
• "Which one now?" poster — pick a card from what the body is doing, not from a list
• My cards page — the three or four that actually work, plus a no-streak practice tracker
• Parent guide — practise on good days, offer two face up, and move before anything else

Every icon in the 24-card deck is different, so a child who can't read yet can still choose by picture.

Instant download — printable PDF, US Letter. No physical item will be shipped. For personal / single-family or single-classroom use.