6

Activities for each session

Below we summarize the component activities for each session. Over the next chapters we then describe the sessions in more detail.

Session 1: Introduction to the programme – Exploring feelings of affection

Initial assessment through stories.

1. The activities and experiences that you like.
2. People whom you like or love.
3. How do those people express that they like you or love you?
4. How we feel, think and behave when someone likes or loves us.
5. What would life be like without being liked or loved?
6. List some of the things that are not so nice about being liked or loved.
7. Project: Collect pictures of people expressing affection.
8. Project: Family affection.
9. Project: Social Story^TM.

Session 2: Beginning to recognize and express affection

Review of Session 1.

1. A Social Story™ about how liking or loving someone can affect your feelings, thoughts and abilities.
2. Using the like and love thermometer to explore pictures of liking and loving.
3. What can you say and do to show that you like someone?
4. What can you say and do to show that you love someone?
5. Project: Use the ideas at home to express liking or loving a member of the family.

Session 3: Giving and receiving compliments

Review of Session 2.

1. Review the project from Session 2.
2. Why do we give compliments?
3. Compliments for specific people.
4. Types of compliment.
5. How often should you give someone a compliment?
6. How do you reply to a compliment?
7. Practise giving and receiving compliments.
8. Could a compliment be embarrassing?
9. Project: Create a compliment diary.

Session 4: The reasons we express like or love through affectionate words and gestures

Review of Session 3.

1. Review the compliment diary project from Session 3.
2. Why do we give affection?
3. What would happen if nobody showed you that they liked or loved you?
4. What would happen if you stopped showing your friends that you liked them?
5. If you did not get enough affection, how could you make yourself feel better?
6. How do you feel when…?
7. Project: Complete a diary of receiving and giving affection.

Session 5: Developing our skills at expressing affection

Review of Session 4.

1. Review the diary of giving and receiving affection from Session 4.
2. Different types of affection in different situations.
3. How can you tell if someone needs affection?
4. How can you tell if you have given too much affection?
5. How can you tell if you have given not enough affection?
6. What are the three most important things you have learned about affection?
7. Complete the post-programme assessments.
8. Express affection to someone in the group with a compliment or gesture such as a hug.
9. Receive your certificate of knowledge.