About This Lesson
Practicing gratitude is one of the simplest and most effective ways to support student wellbeing. Research shows that gratitude can increase positive emotions, strengthen relationships, improve resilience, and help students focus on what is going well in their lives.
This Daily Gratitude Routine Pack provides autism-friendly tools that help students build a consistent gratitude practice through reflection, writing, and positive thinking activities. By exploring what they appreciate and expressing gratitude to others, students develop greater self-awareness, empathy, optimism, and emotional wellbeing.
Here's what you'll get
• Gratitude Brainstorm Worksheet
• Gratitude Letter Activity
• Gratitude Journal Reflection Activity
• Teacher implementation suggestions
• Autism-friendly visual supports
• Access to additional wellbeing resources and lesson plans
Why you'll love this activity bundle
• Easy to implement in any classroom setting
• Encourages positive thinking and reflection
• Supports emotional wellbeing and resilience
• Builds communication and relationship skills
• Designed with autism-friendly learning principles in mind
• Flexible for daily, weekly, or seasonal gratitude routines
Ways to use
• Morning meetings and SEL lessons
• Advisory and homeroom activities
• Counseling and social skills groups
• Calm-down corner reflection activities
• Family gratitude discussions at home
• Holiday and special occasion reflections
What is Gratitude?
Has anyone ever told you to “be grateful for what you have” or “count your blessings?” Maybe your parents or grandparents reminded you to pay attention to the good things in life, frequently say thank you, and appreciate what you have. As a teacher, you may have told your students, “Focus on your successes.” Here, we present a case of science catching up to the old adage.
The gratitude skill - What Went Well - helps you and your students begin to counteract the negativity bias and strike a balance in what you focus on each day. By developing a consistent gratitude practice, we can transform how we see the world. It has long been said that it is not happiness that brings us gratitude; rather, it is gratitude that brings us happiness.
Science of Gratitude
Research shows that practicing What Went Well can profoundly impact individuals and groups. It turns out that the advice to focus on the good things each day has many benefits, ranging from physical health to mental wellbeing. People who practice gratitude:
- Are happier, healthier, and live longer
- Are more optimistic and hopeful
- Fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer
- Exercise more frequently and have better cardiovascular health
- Have stronger relationships and increased social support
- Find greater meaning in their work
- Perform better and achieve at higher levels
- Are less depressed and anxious
Looking for more SEL resources?
- Explore the free full lesson plans and unit studies on happiness skills at our Skill Center. All units include teaching slides, additional worksheets and activities, and even IEP and BIP recommendations tailored specifically to students with autism.
Proof Positive’s resources are and will always be free. Be well!
