Using Children's Literature to Teach Kid's With Autism

It is crucial in a young child's development that they understand and are taught empathy, social skills, and why acts of kindness are important. Without direct instruction, self-confidence and the impact of their actions on others' self-confidence, many children face diminished self-esteem, a lack of empathy, and the inability to maintain and form friendships. Research has found that socio-emotional instruction and environments that foster prosocial behaviors like kindness and sharing improve students' attitudes toward school and help reduce depression and stress (Durlak et al., 2011). To facilitate such an environment, I created a three-day workshop for the clients at a private clinic using the book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? to promote and foster “bucket filling.” The three subtopics I chose to focus on were to teach kindness and identify bullying, teach about empathy, and encourage acts of kindness.