Impulse Ninjas Session 1: Group Discussion

Purpose

Help students connect personal experiences with impulses and deepen their understanding of how ADHD can affect impulse control.

Guidelines

• Listen respectfully when others share
• Speak one at a time
• Be honest but kind in your responses

Discussion Prompts

1. Defining Impulses (2 min)

   • Question: “In your own words, what is an impulse?”
   • Follow-up: “How does an impulse differ from a planned action?”

2. Video Reflection (2 min)

   • Prompt: “What’s one thing you learned from Short Video Clip: Impulse Control and ADHD?”
   • Follow-up: “Why is that insight important for understanding behavior?”

3. ADHD and Impulsivity (3 min)

   • Question: “How might someone with ADHD experience or act on impulses differently?”
   • Follow-ups:
     • “Can you give an example?”
     • “What challenges might they face in controlling those impulses?”

4. Personal Connection (3 min)

   • Question: “Think of a time you acted on an impulse. What happened?”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • Follow-ups:
     • “What triggered that impulse?”
     • “How did you feel in the moment?”

5. Trigger Identification (2 min)

   • Question: “What are some common triggers for impulses in your daily life?”
   • Follow-up: “How can noticing those triggers help you prepare or pause?”

6. Wrap-Up (1 min)

   • Question: “What is one strategy you can try next time you feel an impulse coming on?”
     
     
     
     

Use respectful listening and honest sharing to help everyone learn from each other.

Impulse UNO Challenge

Objective: Practice pausing and choosing healthy coping strategies by integrating a UNO deck into impulse‐control scenarios.

Why: Using familiar game mechanics (matching colors and numbers) helps students internalize the “pause, think, plan” process in a fun, low‐pressure setting.

Time: 30 minutes

Materials:

• One standard UNO deck UNO Deck
• Scenario Cards: Common Impulse Triggers
• Coping Strategy Cards
• A timer or watch

Setup (5 min)

1. Define trigger categories by UNO color:
   • Red = Emotional triggers (anger, frustration)
   • Blue = Social triggers (peer pressure, teasing)
   • Green = Environmental triggers (noise, clutter)
   • Yellow = Task‐related triggers (boredom, difficulty)
2. Shuffle UNO Deck and deal 5 cards to each student. Place the rest face down as the draw pile.
3. Place the Scenario Cards: Common Impulse Triggers and Coping Strategy Cards face down in two separate piles.
4. Arrange students in a circle or around tables so they can all see each other.

How to Play

1. Draw a Scenario (2 min per turn)

   • The first student draws one scenario card and reads it aloud.

2. Match the Color

   • Look at the scenario type and choose a UNO card from your hand matching that color.
   • If you can’t play a matching‐color card, draw two cards from the UNO deck as a “pause penalty,” then proceed anyway.

3. Pause & Plan

   • Look at the number on the UNO card you played. Count silently to that number (e.g., play an “8” → pause eight seconds).

4. Pick a Coping Strategy

   • After pausing, draw one Coping Strategy Card.
   • Explain to the group how you would use that strategy in this scenario.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     (Encourage brief role‐play or a 1–2 sentence description.)

5. Discard & Replenish

   • Place your played UNO card in a discard pile. Draw from the UNO deck until you have 5 cards in hand again.

6. Next Turn

   • Pass play to the student on your left. Continue until time is up or each student has had 3 turns.

Debrief Discussion (8 min)

1. Which UNO color (trigger type) felt most common for you? Why?
   
   
   
2. How did using the card’s number to pause affect your thinking?
   
   
   
3. Which coping strategy did you find most useful? How would you apply it next time?
   
   
   
4. How can you adapt this “match, pause, plan” process when you’re not playing a game? Share one real‐life example.
   
   
   

Variations

• Team Tournaments: In pairs, alternate turns and score points for clear strategy explanations.
• Reverse Play: If you have only one color in hand, practice identifying alternative pause lengths (same color = choose any number).
• Student‐Made Cards: Have students add new scenarios or strategies to the decks.
• Longer Pauses: Use action cards (Skip, Reverse, Draw Two) to signal group reflection or partner discussions instead of solo pauses.