Emotional Logic in a school for Asperger’s/ High Functioning Autistic students in South Africa

What I love about Emotional Logic and using it in my school for Asperger’s/ High Functioning Autistic students, is the visual aspect.

We had a student come in age 9, very upset due to her mom not allowing something. Normally a meltdown could last an hour or even the whole day. She would withdraw into herself after crying and that would be it. On this day we took out the Emotional Logic cards. Within 5 minutes she was telling us why her mom said no…because she loved her. She had a lovely safe day further.

The visual aspect has been so helpful for these wonderfully visual brains. EL gives them a language. Most of them battle to communicate what they are thinking. They find emotions ( a sense) overwhelming with all the physiological sensory input that comes with each emotion. EL helps them understand and identify what is happening. From being 80% of their day in 911, or in Shock, due to sensory overload, etc.; we have seen them able to function knowing that they are safe and more importantly, they have a safe way of processing meltdowns. This has greatly reduced meltdown frequency and time.

At Wonderfully Made Academy, our students are able to communicate with an emotional language. You will often overhear on the playground , “no that’s a fight plan, it won’t work!” or “I’m going to my safe place, give me space”.

Autistic students are often half their age emotionally and double their age for reasoning. Emotional Logic is a safe tool and our go to as it meets them where they are emotionally as well as giving the words they need to list losses, bargain effectively and move forward. My personal saying is “Loving a child with Autism is like hugging a rainbow”. EL has given us the understanding and safe way to mange the intensely emotional kaleidoscope of autism.

Written by Reinet Blignaut from the Wonderfully Made Academy