Expert-Designed Worksheets for Children with Behavioural Issues

Understanding the Role of Behavioural Worksheets for Children

Think of these worksheets as a vital bridge between professional therapy sessions and daily life, or as a powerful first step in understanding and addressing your child's needs. At Cadabam’s, with over three decades of dedicated experience in child psychology and development, we create these evidence-based resources to empower children and support families on their journey toward emotional well-being and resilience.

Beyond the Printable: Why Trust Cadabam's Behaviour Management Resources?

A quick online search will reveal thousands of worksheets, but not all resources are created equal. The effectiveness and safety of a behavioural tool depend entirely on the expertise behind it. A poorly designed worksheet can be confusing or even counterproductive. Here’s why the resources from Cadabam’s Child Development Center stand as a benchmark for quality and trust.

Developed by a Multidisciplinary Team of Experts

Our printable behavioural worksheets for children are not generic templates found across the internet. Each resource is meticulously developed, reviewed, and vetted by our in-house multidisciplinary team of experts. This includes:

• Child psychologists who understand the cognitive and emotional development of children.
• Behavioural therapists who specialize in evidence-based strategies like ABA and CBT.
• Occupational therapists who connect behaviour to sensory processing and regulation.
• Special educators who ensure the tools are practical and accessible for diverse learning needs.

This collaborative approach ensures every worksheet is grounded in proven science and tailored to address the real-world complexities of childhood behavioural issues.

Designed for Real-World Scenarios (Therapy-to-Home Transition)

We design our worksheets with a clear purpose: to reinforce the skills taught in a therapeutic setting. They act as a practical tool for parents to facilitate crucial conversations about feelings, consequences, and choices. By using these behaviour management tools at home, you help your child generalize the skills they learn, making progress faster, more consistent, and more sustainable in their everyday environments—at school, at home, and with friends.

A Focus on Positive Reinforcement and Skill Building

Our core philosophy is centred on building a child’s confidence and competence, not on punishment. The behavioural worksheets you’ll find here are designed to celebrate small victories, encourage effort, and develop a child's internal capacity for self-regulation. We focus on teaching what to do rather than just saying what not to do. This positive, skill-building approach aligns with modern, evidence-based pediatric therapy and fosters a healthier parent-child relationship built on collaboration and understanding.

A Library of Free Downloadable Worksheets for Behavioural Issues

Welcome to your toolkit for supporting your child's emotional and behavioural growth. We have organized our expert-created worksheets into key categories to help you find exactly what you need. Each worksheet is designed to be a starting point for conversation and practice.

Category 1: Behaviour Management Worksheets for Kids & Chart Printables

Description: These tools provide clear, visual structures to help children understand expectations, track their progress, and see the direct link between their actions and outcomes. Using tools like behaviour chart printables for children provides powerful visual reinforcement for desired behaviours and helps children take ownership of their choices.

• Worksheet 1: My Weekly Goal Chart

  • What it is: A simple, positive chart where a child can choose 1-3 specific behavioural goals for the week (e.g., "Use my words when I'm frustrated," "Share my toys with my sister").
  • How it helps: Fosters a sense of accomplishment and focuses on positive actions. It’s perfect for building new habits.

• Worksheet 2: The Consequence Map

  • What it is: A visual tool that helps a child map out the potential positive and negative consequences of a specific choice (e.g., "Choice: Hitting my brother" vs. "Choice: Asking for a turn").
  • How it helps: Teaches cause-and-effect thinking and improves impulse control by encouraging the child to think before they act.

• Worksheet 3: Token Economy Reward System

  • What it is: A set of printable "tokens" and a "reward menu" that you and your child create together. The child earns tokens for specific positive behaviours and can "spend" them on rewards.
  • How it helps: A powerful motivational tool that provides immediate positive reinforcement and teaches delayed gratification.

Category 2: Social Skills Worksheets for Kids with Behavioural Problems

Description: Many behavioural challenges stem from difficulties in understanding and navigating social situations. These worksheets are designed to explicitly teach social cues, empathy, perspective-taking, sharing, and turn-taking. They are especially crucial for addressing challenges associated with conditions like social communication disorder or for children who struggle to make and keep friends.

• Worksheet 1: What Would a Friend Do? Scenarios

  • What it is: A series of short, relatable social scenarios (e.g., "You see a classmate drop all their books"). The child is prompted to think about what a kind and friendly response would be.
  • How it helps: Builds empathy and perspective-taking skills, providing a "social script" for common situations.

• Worksheet 2: Reading Body Language

  • What it is: A matching worksheet with pictures of different facial expressions and body postures (e.g., slumped shoulders, big smile) and a list of corresponding emotions.
  • How it helps: Teaches children to recognize non-verbal cues, a foundational skill for successful social interaction.

• Worksheet 3: My Conversation Starters

  • What it is: A fun worksheet that helps a child brainstorm and practice simple questions to ask peers to start a conversation (e.g., "What games do you like to play?").
  • How it helps: Reduces social anxiety and equips children with the tools they need to initiate positive interactions.

Category 3: Emotional Regulation & Identification Worksheets

Description: A child cannot manage an emotion they cannot name. These tools, often used in conjunction with sensory integration therapies, are designed to boost a child's emotional intelligence. They help children identify their feelings (anger, sadness, anxiety, excitement), connect those feelings to physical sensations in their body, and develop a plan for managing overwhelming emotions.

• Worksheet 1: The Feelings Thermometer

  • What it is: A visual of a thermometer where a child can colour in how "hot" or "big" their feeling is—from calm blue at the bottom to explosive red at the top.
  • How it helps: Helps children quantify their emotions and recognize the early warning signs of escalation, allowing them to use a coping skill before they are overwhelmed.

• Worksheet 2: My Anger Triggers & Coping Plan

  • What it is: A two-part worksheet where a child first identifies things that make them feel angry ("My Triggers") and then brainstorms and chooses calming activities to do when they feel that anger ("My Coping Plan").
  • How it helps: Empowers the child by giving them a concrete, pre-planned strategy for managing one of the most difficult emotions.

• Worksheet 3: What’s In My Control? Circle

  • What it is: A worksheet with two circles—an inner circle for "Things I Can Control" and an outer circle for "Things I Cannot Control." The child writes or draws examples in each.
  • How it helps: Reduces anxiety and frustration by teaching children to focus their energy on their own actions and reactions, rather than on external events or other people's behaviour.

A Parent's Guide: Maximizing the Impact of Behavioural Worksheets

Having the right tool is only half the battle; using it effectively is what creates real change. These worksheets are designed to be a collaborative experience that strengthens your bond with your child. Here’s how to make the most of them.

Create a Calm and Positive Environment

Choose a time to work on these sheets when both you and your child are calm and not rushed. Sit together in a comfortable, quiet space away from distractions like the TV or tablets. Frame it as special "us time," not as a chore or a punishment.

Work Together: Focus on Parent-Child Bonding

These are not tests. There are no right or wrong answers, only opportunities for discussion. Fill out the worksheets together. Share your own experiences when appropriate ("You know, sometimes I feel frustrated too. When I do, taking a few deep breaths helps me."). This models vulnerability and shows your child they are not alone in their feelings.

Use Specific Praise and Encouragement

Focus on praising the effort, not just the outcome. Instead of a generic "good job," try specific praise that reinforces the skill you're building. For example:

• "I love how carefully you thought about a calm solution on that worksheet."
• "Thank you for sharing your angry triggers with me. That helps me understand you better."
• "That was a great idea to use a conversation starter with your friend at the park!"

Know When a Worksheet Isn't Enough

Worksheets are an excellent supplementary tool, but they have limitations. You should consider seeking a professional evaluation if:

• The challenging behaviours are worsening or not improving.
• The behaviour is significantly impacting their school performance, friendships, or family life.
• Your child consistently resists using these tools or becomes extremely distressed.
• You feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and unsure of what to do next.

These are not signs of failure; they are signs that your child and family need a higher level of expert support.

Professional Support for Behavioural Issues in Children

While our free downloadable worksheets for behavioural issues are a fantastic first step, comprehensive and lasting change often requires professional guidance. At Cadabam’s, we understand that behaviour is a form of communication. Our goal is to understand what your child is trying to communicate and give them, and you, the skills needed for success. Our integrated programs offer a complete circle of care.

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) for Skill Development

ABA is a highly effective, evidence-based therapy that is considered the gold standard for behavioural modification and skill acquisition. It uses positive reinforcement to systematically teach new skills, such as communication, social interaction, and self-help, while reducing challenging behaviours. Our ABA programs are always personalized to the child's unique needs and goals.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Thought Patterns

For older children, CBT is a powerful therapeutic approach that helps them understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and actions. A therapist can help a child identify unhelpful thought patterns that lead to challenging behaviours—like those seen in Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) or anxiety—and replace them with more positive, adaptive ways of thinking and coping.

Occupational Therapy for Sensory and Emotional Regulation

Sometimes, what looks like a behavioural issue is actually a response to an underlying sensory processing challenge. A child who is oversensitive to noise might have outbursts in a loud classroom. Our occupational therapists are experts in sensory integration therapy, helping children regulate their sensory systems so they are better able to manage their emotions, focus their attention, and participate calmly in daily activities.

Parent-Child Integration and Counselling

We believe that supporting the child means supporting the family. Our programs always involve a strong parent training and counselling component. We equip you with the specific strategies, confidence, and understanding you need to manage behaviours effectively at home, creating a consistent and supportive environment that fosters your child’s growth.

Our Multidisciplinary Team: The Expertise Behind Every Resource

When you engage with Cadabam’s, you are accessing the collective wisdom of a diverse and deeply experienced team. We don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Our strength lies in our collaborative model, where experts from different fields work together to create a truly holistic picture of your child's needs.

Our resource-creation and treatment planning teams include:

• Child psychologists
• Behavioural therapists
• Speech-language pathologists
• Occupational therapists
• Special educators
• Pediatric neurologists

A Word From Our Lead Psychologist (EEAT)

“Worksheets are powerful tools because they make abstract concepts like ’empathy’ or ‘self-control’ tangible for a child. They provide a script and a structure when a child’s own internal structure is still developing. At Cadabam’s, we use them to empower families and reinforce the life-changing skills we build in our therapy sessions. They are a bridge, not a destination, on the path to well-being.” - Lead Child Psychologist, Cadabam's CDC.

Real Progress: Stories From Families at Cadabam’s CDC

The journey from challenge to confidence is real. These anonymized stories reflect the experiences of many families who have partnered with Cadabam’s Child Development Center.

Case Study 1: Anya’s Journey with Social Anxiety

• Challenge: 7-year-old Anya struggled to make friends and often had emotional outbursts in the classroom when asked to participate in group activities. Her parents felt helpless.
• Process: They started by using our social skills worksheets for kids with behavioural problems at home. Seeing the underlying anxiety, they booked an assessment at Cadabam's. Anya began one-on-one CBT to build coping strategies and joined one of our social skills groups.
• Outcome: After six months, Anya’s confidence has blossomed. Her classroom outbursts have ceased, and she is now able to initiate play with her peers, armed with the conversation starters and empathy skills she practiced.

Case Study 2: Rohan’s Path to Managing Frustration

• Challenge: 5-year-old Rohan had frequent, intense tantrums over seemingly small issues, especially transitions. He would throw toys and yell, leaving his parents exhausted.
• Process: His parents began using our behaviour chart printables for children and the Feelings Thermometer. This helped them identify that Rohan's frustration was escalating quickly. They enrolled in our parent counselling program and an occupational therapy assessment revealed significant sensory processing issues.
• Outcome: With OT to help his sensory regulation and his parents using consistent strategies learned in counselling, the frequency and intensity of Rohan's tantrums have dramatically reduced. He is now able to point to the thermometer to show he’s feeling “hot” and use the coping strategies he learned.