Power Cards

Power Cards are a visual teaching strategy developed by Elisa Gagnon for autistic learners and others with social-communication differences. A Power Card is a small, portable card that pairs a brief scenario about a child's special interest (such as a favourite character) with a three- to five-step script that models an appropriate social behaviour or routine in an analogous situation. The card travels with the learner so the cue is available at the moment of need. Power Cards are commonly used alongside Social Stories, Comic Strip Conversations and video modelling as part of a toolkit for teaching social interaction skills in home, school and community settings.