Lesson Plan

Calm When Friends Cough Plan

Students learn to identify and manage anxiety triggered by classmates’ coughs by practicing deep breathing, creating personalized coping cards, and engaging in peer support role-play.

Unexpected sensory stimuli like coughing can heighten worry in students with autism. Equipping them with calming strategies and peer encouragement fosters emotional regulation, reduces anxiety, and builds classroom confidence.

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up and Feeling Check

5 minutes

Step 2

Teach Deep Breathing Strategy

7 minutes

Step 3

Practice with Coping Cards

10 minutes

Step 4

Role-Play and Peer Support

5 minutes

Step 5

Closure and Reflection

3 minutes

Slide Deck

Calm When Friends Cough

Introduce session: “Today we’ll work on feeling calm when we hear coughing around us. We have some fun and simple tools to help us feel safe and brave!”

Ask students to close their eyes and listen to this cough sound. Play the clip. Then ask: “What did you notice? How did that sound make you feel?”

How Did You Feel?

Go around the circle and invite each student to share a word. Prompt gently: “Did you feel that in your belly? Your chest?”

Deep Breathing Strategy

Model with a stuffed animal on your belly. Guide everyone: “Breathe in through your nose... breathe out like a sigh.” Encourage slow, smooth breaths.

Make Your Coping Cards

Circulate and help students choose strategies. Remind: “You can pick deep breathing, counting, or squeezing a stress ball.”

Practice with a Friend

Coach pairs to keep coughs quiet and kind. Encourage positive feedback: “Nice job staying calm.”

Reflection & Closure

Praise each student: “I’m proud of how brave you were today. Keep practicing these tools!”

Lesson Plan

Calm When Friends Cough Plan

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Prepare Materials

Step 1

Warm-Up and Feeling Check

Step 2

Teach Deep Breathing Strategy

Step 3

Practice with Coping Cards

Step 4

Role-Play and Peer Support

Step 5

Closure and Reflection

Slide Deck

Calm When Friends Cough

How Did You Feel?

Deep Breathing Strategy

Make Your Coping Cards

Practice with a Friend

Reflection & Closure

Worksheet

Activity

Reading

Activity

Calm When Friends Cough

Sarah Brown