How to Teach Perspective Taking in Speech Therapy (Using Activities & Video Shorts)

Teaching perspective taking in speech therapy can be challenging, especially for students who struggle to understand others’ thoughts, feelings, and reactions in social situations. Many speech-language pathologists use social skills activities and video shorts to help students observe real-life scenarios and practice identifying emotions, perspectives, and appropriate responses.

For speech-language pathologists, teaching perspective taking can feel overwhelming. Social situations are complex, and students often need explicit instruction to understand what others might be thinking or feeling.

One strategy that works especially well in therapy is combining visual activities with short social scenario videos or video shorts that help students observe and analyze real-life situations.

To help you try this approach, I created a free sample of my Perspective Taking lesson.

➡️ Download the free perspective taking activity here: click here for freebie

What is Perspective Taking?

Perspective taking is the ability to understand that other people have thoughts, feelings, and knowledge that may be different from our own.

This skill is closely related to Theory of Mind, which refers to the ability to recognize that other people’s perspectives and emotions influence their behavior.

Students who struggle with perspective taking may:

➡️ focus mostly on their own thoughts or interests

➡️ miss nonverbal cues such as facial expressions or body language

➡️ have difficulty predicting how others might react in a situation

➡️ give responses that seem socially unexpected or insensitive

Teaching perspective taking helps students interpret social situations and respond in more appropriate ways.

Why Video Shorts Work Well for Teaching Social Skills

Short social scenario videos or video shorts can be a powerful tool when teaching perspective taking in speech therapy.

Video shorts allow students to observe a social situation in action, making it easier to notice:

➡️ facial expressions

➡️ tone of voice

➡️ body language

➡️ reactions from others

Because video shorts are brief and engaging, students are more likely to stay focused and discuss what they observe.

After watching a video short, students can practice answering questions such as:

➡️ What just happened in the video?

➡️ How do you think that person feels?

➡️ What might they be thinking?

➡️ What could someone do differently in this situation?

Using video shorts with guided discussion helps students practice interpreting social cues and predicting outcomes.

A Simple Way to Teach Perspective Taking

When using activities or video shorts, it helps to guide students through a simple three-step process.

Step 1: Notice What Is Happening

Students begin by describing the situation.

➡️ What is happening?

➡️ Who is involved?

➡️ What clues do we see?

This encourages students to focus on observable details before reacting.

Step 2: Think About What Others Might Be Thinking or Feeling

Next, students practice identifying possible thoughts or emotions.

➡️ How might that person feel?

➡️ Why might they feel that way?

➡️ What might they be thinking?

This step helps students shift from “just me thinking” to considering other perspectives.

Step 3: Choose a Helpful Response

Finally, students think about how someone could respond in the situation.

➡️ What could you say or do?

➡️ Which response would help the situation?

➡️ Which response might make things worse?

This step builds social problem-solving skills.

The full lesson expands on this activity and includes additional scenarios, visuals, and guided discussion prompts designed to work well with video shorts and social skills discussions.

You can view the complete lesson here: Click for full lesson

Final Thoughts

Perspective taking is a skill that develops over time and often requires explicit instruction and repeated practice.

Combining structured activities with video shorts can help students better understand social situations and recognize how others may be thinking or feeling.

With guided practice, students can begin to apply these skills in real-life conversations and interactions.