Pets on the Green · Animal Academypetsonthegreen.co.uk
Before you start
For grown-ups
This workbook helps a young person learn to share their feelings, needs and choices. Sit alongside them and take it gently — it works best as a quiet, no-pressure activity, not a test.
Go at their pace. One page, or even one box, at a sitting is fine. Come back to it often.
There are no wrong answers. Every honest response is a good one. Praise the try, not the tidiness.
All ways of communicating count. Talking, writing, drawing, pointing, signing, gestures, or using symbols or a device are all equally valid. Let them answer in whatever way works for them.
Writing is optional. If holding a pencil is hard, they can point, tell you the answer for you to scribe, or draw instead.
Take breaks. If feelings get big, pause. The break itself is good communication practice.
A note on looking and eye contact: some young people find looking at faces uncomfortable, and that is completely okay. This book never asks them to make eye contact. Listening and connecting can look different for everyone, and all of those ways are welcome here.
My Communication WorkbookPage 1
Getting to know you
All about me
Hello! I'm Rosie. Let's start with you — there are no wrong answers here.
1 My name is…
2 Some things I like…
3 The ways I like to communicate (tick any that fit you)
💬 Talking
✏️ Writing
🎨 Drawing
👉 Pointing
🤟 Signing
📱 Symbols or a device
😊 My face
🙌 My hands & body
My Communication WorkbookPage 2
Lesson 1
So many ways to talk
Communication means sharing — letting someone know what's in your head. And there are lots of ways to do it. They all count.
💬 Talking
✏️ Writing
🎨 Drawing
🤟 Signing
📱 Symbols
😊 Faces
🙌 Body
👉 Pointing
1 Draw one way you like to communicate
draw here ✏️
My Communication WorkbookPage 3
Lesson 2
My feelings
It's okay to feel all sorts of things. Let's find the words together.
Happy
Sad
Angry
Worried
Calm
Excited
Tired
1 Today I feel…
Circle or colour the face above that shows how you feel today.
2 Finish the sentence
Today I feel…
…because…
My Communication WorkbookPage 4
Lesson 3
How big is my feeling?
Feelings come in different sizes. A little feeling is a 1. A really big feeling is a 5. All sizes are okay.
1
a little
2
a bit
3
medium
4
quite big
5
very big
1 Circle how big your feeling is right now
Point to or circle a number on the scale above.
2 When my feeling is a big 5, it helps me to…
My Communication WorkbookPage 5
Lesson 4
Feelings in my body
Feelings don't just happen in our heads — we feel them in our bodies too. A worried tummy. Hot, angry cheeks. Knowing where you feel it helps you tell someone.
1 Where do you feel it?
Pick a colour, then tap a body part.
2 Match them up
Draw a line from the body feeling to the emotion.
Tummy ache Hot face Heavy & slow Jumpy & fast
Angry Worried Excited Sad
My Communication WorkbookPage 6
Lesson 5
Asking for what I need
Telling someone what you need is a superpower. Here are some words that help.
I can say… or point… or show…
“I want…”
“I need…”
“Can I have… please?”
“I need help.”
“I need a break.”
1 Circle what you might ask for in a day
🥤 A drink
🍎 A snack
🚽 The toilet
⏸️ A break
🤝 Some help
🤫 Some quiet
2 Write or trace a sentence you could use
My Communication WorkbookPage 7
Lesson 6
Asking for help
It's okay to ask for help. Everybody needs help sometimes — even grown-ups. Asking is a clever thing to do, not a hard thing.
1 People who can help me
At home, I can ask:
At school or sessions, I can ask:
2 Ways I can ask for help (tick the ones for you)
✋ Put my hand up
🗣️ Say “help please”
🪧 Show a help card
🚶 Go to a grown-up
📱 Use my device
👉 Point to it
My Communication WorkbookPage 8
Lesson 7
Asking for a break
When feelings get too big, you don't have to keep going. You can ask for a break. Telling someone “this is too much for me right now” is brilliant communication.
1 When I need a break, I can say or show…
2 My calm plan — three things that help me feel calm
draw or write ✏️
draw or write ✏️
draw or write ✏️
My Communication WorkbookPage 9
Lesson 8
Yes, no and choices
It's okay to say yes. It's okay to say no. Your choices matter, and telling people what you do and don't like helps them know you.
1 Practise — circle Yes or No
Do you like animals?YesNo
Do you like loud places?YesNo
Do you like drawing?YesNo
Things I like
Things I don't like
My Communication WorkbookPage 10
Lesson 9
Saying hello
There are lots of ways to say hello. Pick the one that feels right for you.
👋 Wave
🗣️ Say “hi”
😊 Smile
👊 Fist bump
✋ High five
1 Fill in your hello
Hello, my name is .
I am years old.
I like .
2 Draw yourself saying hello
draw here ✏️
My Communication WorkbookPage 11
Lesson 10
Listening & taking turns
Listening looks different for everyone. Some people look at you. Some people look away to listen better. Both are okay — what matters is that you're taking the words in.
1 What helps you listen? (tick yours)
🤫 A quiet room
🧸 A fidget toy
🪑 Sitting down
🧍 Standing up
👀 Looking
👂 Looking away
Taking turns: a chat is like a game of catch. One person talks, the other listens — then you swap. You don't both throw at once! Practise by talking for a turn, then letting the other person have theirs.
My Communication WorkbookPage 12
Lesson 11
Starting a chat
Sometimes the hardest bit is starting. A good trick is to ask a question — people love being asked about themselves.
Questions I could ask a friend
What's your favourite animal?
What did you do at the weekend?
What are you good at?
What makes you laugh?
1 Now write your own question to ask someone
My Communication WorkbookPage 13
All about my communication
My communication passport
This page tells other people how to communicate with you. Show it to a new teacher or helper.
The way I like to communicate is…
Things that help me…
Things I find tricky…
If I'm upset, the best thing to do is…
My Communication WorkbookPage 14
🏅
Pets on the Green · Animal Academy
Communication Champion
This award goes to…
for finishing My Communication Workbook. You worked hard to share your feelings, needs and choices — well done!
Animal Academy