Putting on a Jacket

photo of child getting dressed at daycare

Learning to get dressed can be a difficult task for many children. As a parent, teacher or early childhood professional, your job is to teach new skills that will help your child build independence and move forward in her development. You also teach new skills to reduce frustration, promote self-esteem, and to replace behaviour that may not be the most acceptable.

Here’s as example:

Chung Lee has difficulty putting on her jacket. When trying to get dressed for outdoor play, she throws her jacket to the floor and screams. Chung Lee is using problem behaviour to tell us, “This is too hard! I need some help”. If you have a child like Chung Lee, you too can teach her to independently put on a jacket – step by step.

Breaking Down the Task

Though some children quickly learn skills through observing and imitating others, many need the new skill to be broken down into smaller steps and to be allowed time to master each step in the sequence. The breaking down of complex skills into smaller components is called task analysis. Anything we do can be broken down into smaller steps. The number of steps depends on the needs of your child.

There are various ways to put on a jacket including the “Flip Flop” method where your child is taught to flip the jacket over their head and onto their shoulders, etc. This method is fine, but remember to choose one that works best for you and your child. Consider that some children may have difficulty learning a whole new method later on.

In our example, we decide to teach Chung Lee to put on her jacket in a way that is similar to how her parents and teachers put it on her. Many of these steps are familiar to Chung Lee and we can teach her to do them independently.

Let’s break down the steps to putting on a jacket:

Take jacket off the hook.
Hold jacket with left hand.
Slip right arm up through right arm hole.
Pull jacket up onto right shoulder.
Reach left arm behind your back.
Push left arm through the left arm hole.
Place both hands on the collar and pull forward to adjust the jacket.
Zip up the jacket.

In this case, “zipping” up the jacket involves another set of very complex steps but we’ll focus on putting the jacket on for now.

Teaching the New Skill

When teaching a self-help skill, consider using visuals such as photos or pictures symbols that represent each step. Place them in order on a board and post them in the area your child usually puts on her jacket, such as the front hallway or cubby. Use this visual tool to introduce the skill and refer to the steps every time your child puts has to put on her jacket.

In order for your child to learn the steps to a new skill, you will have to provide assistance or “prompt” along the way. A prompt is a cue or hint meant to help your child to perform a desired behaviour, skill, or part of a skill.

Start by providing hand-over-hand assistance with each step to get your child familiar with this routine. Gradually, provide less assistance, as she masters each step. This process is called fading – it involves reducing the need, strength or level of the prompt. For example, you can reduce the amount of physical prompting from hand-over-hand to partial physical prompting by touching her elbow to start off a movement, and then by modelling the actions as you put on your own jacket.

Giving Reinforcement

Reinforcement is anything that motivates or encourages a child. It is any environmental event that maintains or strengthens an action or behaviour. Praise, a special activity, music, toys and food can be used as reinforcers. Reinforcement is a reward that occurs or is given after a behaviour.

It is important to motivate and reward your child who is learning a new skill. It helps them to stay on track and understand what is required or expected of them. By rewarding your child for approximating or getting increasingly closer to the steps that we want to see in the end we can shape her behaviour.

In our example, we can reinforce Chung Lee for following each step by giving her verbal praise and letting her go quickly to outdoor play. Remember that verbal praise needs to describe the positive behaviour. Instead of just saying “Good job!” you can say, “Hooray! You put your jacket on!” As Chung Lee gets more comfortable with performing each step, gradually reduce the amount of reinforcement.

Generalizing the New Skill

You will what your child to know that this new skill can be applied in many places, with many people, and under many conditions. For some children, learning to dress themselves at the child care centre does not necessarily mean that they are going to demonstrate this skill at home, or with anyone other than the person who taught them.

To help Chung Lee generalize this skill we can:

Use similar but different jackets to teach the same skills (e.g., winter jacket, spring jacket, cardigan).
Have others teach the same skills.
Teach the skill in several different locations around the child care centre and at home (e.g., add a jacket or cardigan to the dramatic centre as part of the dress-up clothing).

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) was designed by Andrew Bondy and Lori Frost of The Delaware Autistic Program. It was designed for children who are not yet initiating communication to express their needs or interests. Using PECS, a child learns to exchange a picture of a desired object in return for that object. In handing the picture to another person to request the object, the child’s communication becomes more social and intentional.

A speech-language pathologist must always make the decision concerning the use of this approach with a particular child and how to implement it.

PECS has six phases to expand children’s communication skills. The six phases are described below to provide a general understanding of the approach:

Phase One — Requesting an Item or Activity

Identify food/toy/activity of preference (must be highly motivating and available in small portions throughout the day).
Make a picture representation of the desired item using a photo, magazine clipping, line drawing, picture symbol, or label from an item’s packaging.

Teaching the Exchange:

Two adults are usually required during the first teaching session. One sits directly across from the child to receive the picture. The other is behind the child to prompt the exchange.
Place the desired item (e.g., a cracker) and the picture of it in front of the child.
Do not ask the child what he wants.
As the child reaches for the item, the adult behind physically assists the child to pick up the picture and hand it to the other adult’s open hand.
Provide the child with the desired object immediately and say, “Oh, you want the _____.”
Gradually provide less physical prompting. For example, hand-over-hand assistance may be required at first and eventually just a touch on the child’s elbow is all that is necessary.

Move to phase two when the child can independently and consistently pick up the picture and hand it to the adult in exchange for the item.

Phase Two — Spontaneously Requesting an Item

Individually introduce two more pictures of desired items (from different categories such as food, toys, activities) using the same method as in phase one.
Once the child can successfully request each of the new pictures when presented individually, place one picture at a time on a board with Velcro or tape.
The child should be encouraged to glance at the adult during this phase before exchanging the picture.
The adult gradually moves away from the child.
The child learns to get the picture from the board and initiate communication with an adult.
More than one adult should use the exchange system at this point.
The adult should verbally reinforce the child for exchanging the picture by saying, “Oh, you want the ____.”

Move to phase three when the child is able to go to the communication board, pull off the picture, and take it to an adult to request an item.

Phase Three — Discriminating Between Pictures

Place two pictures on the board that include one picture of a desired item and one picture of an undesired item. Rotate the pictures on the board so that the child is not just reaching for a specific location.
If the child reaches for the picture of the undesired object, the adult says, “No, we don’t have that”, and gestures toward the picture of the desired item.
If the child tries to take an item that does not correspond to the picture that was exchanged, the adult says, “You asked for _____”, and points to the item.
Continue the above steps until the child has between twelve and twenty pictures, organized on a board, or in a book.

Phase Four — Building Sentence Structure

Arrange the child’s pictures into categories such as food, toys, and activities. If using a binder, place each category on a different page.
Print the phrase, “I want ____”, and teach the child to request a desired object from the communication board by placing its picture on the “I want ____” strip.
The child learns to request a variety of items from various people.
Items being requested should sometimes be out of sight.

Phase Five — Responding to Verbal Questions/Prompts

The child uses the sentence strip “I want ____” in answer to the adult’s verbal question “What do you want?”, even when the item is not present.

Phase Six — Commenting

Phrases such as “I see ____”, or “I have ____” are used to teach the child to name items.

The Picture Exchange Communication System provides children with direct training in how to initiate communication. This training is important for those children who would prefer to go and get what they need or want instead of requesting it from another person. Without this training, some children learn how to respond to questions but are unable to ask for something. Through structured training, children progress from requesting one item to using a sentence strip to make comments. Some children also begin to use the spoken word to request items through PECS as the spoken word is consistently paired with the picture. For children who are nonverbal, the system allows for progression from using a single word to using a few words to request, respond, or comment.

References:

Based on “An Overview of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)” from Geneva Centre, January 1996.

Naptime Considerations

Naptime is a period in the day when children rest for a short time. For children who have difficulty napping, this may be a time when problem behaviours arise. As with all transitions, naptime should have a basic routine attached to it to make this experience as smooth and positive as possible.

As a parent, teacher or early childhood professional, the following strategies provide some tips to get your child ready for naptime and support him during the nap period.

Before Nap Time

Use visuals to show the daily schedule so your child can anticipate when naptime will occur throughout the day.
All children need some time to “wind down” before they go onto their beds. This could be done with a story, quiet songs, or some gentle stretching exercises. Using slow, low music and soft voices also help.
The routine leading up to naptime should be the same everyday.
The room should be cool and dark, or with dim lighting to provide a more comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. Different lighting also indicates that naptime is very different from other play activities.
Some children may need to have a soft toy, a favourite blanket, or pillow to settle them and use at every nap time.
Back rubs and gentle pats on the back work wonders on children that may have difficulty resting.

During Naptime in Groups

Each child should have a consistent, designated sleep area with the child’s name or picture on the bed.
Send children to bed in small groups thereby limiting the chaos of many children trying to settle at one time.
Keep in mind the children who are light sleepers or are restless when trying to sleep. Spread them around the room so they do not disturb other children.
For children who do not nap, designate an area where quiet activities take place at a table or on a carpet. If possible, a designated “awake” classroom should be considered. The children can look at books or have access to quiet toys or activities, such as:
- lego or other small building toys (e.g., kinex or straws)
- puzzles
- playdough
- colouring
- soft squishy materials such as shaving cream, flour, jello in a sealed tight baggie
- quiet story time with the teacher
Prepare a bucket of these items before each sleep time so that you are not scrambling to find things for the children to do.

With a little good planning and strategizing, nap time will soon become a pleasant and restful time for everyone.

Modifying Your Expectations

As a parent, teacher or early childhood professional you play a central role in the successful integration of your child with special needs into any environment. Here are some strategies to help you modify your expectations and ensure your child’s experiences are successful.

Base your expectations on your child’s developmental level and physical ability – rather than chronological age or diagnosis.
Build your child’s confidence – adapt activities to promote self-esteem. For example, if your child is reluctant to participate in a large group, ease him in by carrying out activities in a smaller group first, to gain experience. Gradually increase the group size.
Provide structure – children need clear, firm guidelines for behaviour. Expect all children to follow the rules within reason. Your child will quickly learn cause and effect regardless of cognitive level.
Focus on your child’s strengths – recognize what your child is able to do as a starting point and new skills will be achieved more easily. For example, if your child has a good visual memory, use visual strategies to teach new skills.
Avoid doing for your child what they can do for themselves – provide the least amount of help that is needed and let your child do the rest. Teach skills in steps, adding another step as the previous one is mastered. For example, you may start off the zipper on your child’s jacket and then allow him pull it up the rest of the way.
Reduce your speech – use simple sentences, lots of gestures, and any visual supports, such as photo’s and picture symbols, to increase your child’s comprehension. You will find that this also promotes compliance. For example, “Lucas, tidy up the toys so the other children don’t fall down” can be simplified to “Lucas, tidy up”.
Speak for your child – when teaching social interaction it is often necessary for you to let other children know your child’s intentions. For example, Kadeem walks towards a peer and bumps into him with a ball. The teacher may have noticed that this is how Kadeem initiates play and says to the other child, “Kadeem is telling you that he wants to play ball with you.”
Ask for help – access supports when you are unsure of what to try next.

General Strategies for Dealing with Problem Behaviours

photo of teacher speaking with child

There are many reasons why children misbehave. As a parent, teacher or early childhood professional, one of the first steps in dealing with problem behaviours is to try and figure out what is the “function”, or purpose of the behaviour. In other words, what does your child get when she behaves this way? The purpose of any behaviour is either to avoid or to gain access to objects, activities, attention, or sensory stimulation.

Once you have a good idea about the purpose of the behaviour you can begin to deal with it by making the problem behaviour:

irrelevant (not important) – first, try to prevent it from happening, such as making changes to the environment, routines, tasks, teaching methods, and the timing of events
inefficient (to have no value) – teach a different and more appropriate behaviour that will serve the same purpose for your child, but will be simple for her to do instead
ineffective (not successful) – change the end results or the consequences so that it no longer helps your child to avoid or gain access to objects, activities, attention, or sensory stimulation.

Remember — When attempting to change a problem behaviour, it may get worse before it gets better. Be patient and persistent when attempting to make change.

Here are some general strategies for dealing with problem behaviour that can be used with the following specific functions:

Obtain Objects or Activities

When the purpose for problem behaviour is to gain access to an object or activity,

Provide an appropriate replacement. Give your child another way to get the object or activity. For example, make this object easier for your child to access or reach.
Teach your child different ways of asking for the item or activity, such as using the Picture Exchange Communication System, gestures, vocalizations, and words.
Don’t respond to problem behaviour as if it is a type of communication. For example: If your child is screaming in front of the computer for it to be turned on, wait until she has calmed down, praise her for being calm, then give her the desired result.
Do not provide any type of reward for the inappropriate behaviour. Provide as little attention as possible. Redirect your child in a very neutral manner.

Obtain Attention

If problem behaviour seems to be motivated by the need for attention,

Attempt to ignore the behaviour, or provide as little attention as possible. For example, if your child bangs the table to get your attention, wait until she has stopped banging and then give her attention. Do not look at or acknowledge the banging while it occurs.
Provide more attention and praise when your child is doing the right kinds of things. When your child is sitting and playing, or doing an activity, give her lots of attention, such as saying “Nice job doing your puzzle!”
Teach your child to seek attention more appropriately by calling a person by name, taking an adult by the hand, tapping the adult on the shoulder, or by producing a specific sign or exchanging a picture symbol to make this request.

Remember that negative attention, such as raising your voice, can be just as reinforcing to some children.

Obtain Sensory Stimulation

If your child is seeking sensory stimulation in an inappropriate way,

Replace! Determine what kind of sensory stimulation your child is seeking and provide it in a more appropriate manner. For example, if your child bites or puts things (other than food) in her mouth, you may want to provide her with a chew tube or a specific chewing toy, so she gets the same feeling in her mouth. An occupational therapy consultation will be helpful when identifying safe alternatives.
When possible, direct your child’s attention away from the sensory feedback by getting her busy with other activities.

Escape Objects and Activities

You need to think carefully about children who attempt to escape certain kinds of objects or activities.

Consider these questions:

Is the activity too difficult for my child?
Does she know what other people want from her?
Are there sensory concerns? For example, is the music loud in the room?
Was a warning provided before the transition to the activity? (e.g., one more minute, then we are leaving).

If all of the above points have been addressed and the behaviour continues, the following strategies will help you deal with the problem behaviour:

Ensure follow-through. Initially, this may mean that your child is expected to participate in the activity for an extremely minimal amount of time (e.g., sit at the table for lunch for twenty seconds).
Provide rewards as soon as your child has completed the activity, or for any cooperation during the activity.
Teach your child to indicate their desire to end an activity by asking for a “break”, saying/signing “no” or “finished”, or using a picture symbol.

Escape Attention

If your child does not like attention, she may be trying to send a message. Think about the following questions:

Is the interaction too difficult for my child?
Is my child stressed?
Are there sensory concerns, such as difficulty with loud noises or physical contact?

Try to:

Slowly pair yourself with things or activities your child loves. This will make your attention much more tolerable and perhaps even fun.
Reduce or change your expectations.
Teach coping strategies and stress-release techniques. For example, you can create a Personal Story to help teach your child about what to do in difficult social situations. Check out the For more information box for details.

Escape Sensory Stimulation

If your child does not like certain kinds of sensory stimulation,

Change the environment and play materials to reduce the sensory input that is difficult for your child. For example: If your child is sensitive to loud noise, lower the sound volume on toys (many now have lower volume buttons). Watch your child’s response to different types of noise. By decreasing the noise level or type of noise, your child may be less likely to look for an escape.
Seek a consultation with an occupational therapist.

Most of all, it is important to remember not to force your child to participate in activities that they really does not like.

Remember that dealing with problem behaviour can be challenging. Be consistent in your approach and seek help if you need it. Change takes time and patience.

Following Instructions

photo of three children putting blocks away

Following instructions is important in helping children learn new skills and function well in different environments. Instructions can teach children new skills step by step, or let them know what to do next.

Instructions can have different levels of difficulty. A one-step instruction such as “Get your shoes,” has only one piece of information that needs to be followed. A two-step instruction such as “Get your shoes and put them on,” has two pieces of information or steps that need to be followed.

As a parent, teacher or early childhood professional, you can help your child learn to follow instructions by considering her developmental level and the difficulty of the instruction. You may need to simplify or break down the instruction to ensure success.

Breaking down the Task

Though some children quickly learn skills through watching and following others, many children need the new skill to be broken down into smaller steps and to be allowed time to master each step in the sequence. The breaking down of complex skills into smaller parts is called task analysis. Anything we do can be broken down into smaller steps.

For example:

Asha has difficulty with following the instructions to tidy up her toys. When asked to tidy up, Asha continues to play. When asked a second time, she throws a toy. Asha is using problem behaviour to tell us, “I don’t want to tidy up – I want to keep playing!” To teach Asha to follow the instruction to tidy up, we will first have to break down the steps for her:

Select which items Asha will need to put away.
Teach Asha to pick up one item at a time.
Encourage Asha to put the items in the appropriate spot (e.g. container, basket, shelf, etc.).
If possible, continue until all the items that need to be put away are cleared.

Teaching the New Skill

Teaching a new skill involves preparation – whether it is means setting aside a specific time to teach the skill or collecting materials. When you are teaching a new skill, consider using visuals, such as photos or picture symbols that represent each step. In some instances, visual aides support your child in understanding what is expected of her.

In order for your child to learn the steps to a new skill, you could provide assistance or “prompt” along the way. A prompt is a cue or hint meant to help your child perform a desired behaviour or part of a skill.

Let’s take a look at how we can help Asha follow through with each step:

Give Asha a verbal warning that play time is almost finished. You could say, “Two more minutes then tidy up!”
Prior to the actual tidy up time, you could remove any excess items from Asha’s play area so as to avoid overwhelming her.
Once the two-minute warning to tidy up has come, sing the “Tidy Up” song for Asha to hear.
One of the prompts Asha may need is gentle hand-over-hand assistance to place one item in the basket. Select the item that is closest to Asha and if necessary, bring the container closer to her.
As soon as Asha completes the tidy-up instruction, we can direct her to the next activity.

When teaching a new skill such as “tidying up,” we should only expect Asha to tidy up one item initially. Once Asha becomes familiar with the new expectation and routine, we can reduce the amount of physical prompting from hand-over-hand to a gentle tap on the elbow or shoulder, model the behaviour and so on. The goal is to eventually fade out the amount of support we are providing to Asha, so she can tidy up on her own. As Asha requires less help, we can gradually increase the number of items from one to two, three and four she will be expected to pick up.

Remember just as following instructions are an important skill for children to learn, how you give instructions is equally important as well.

Here are a few tips to follow, when giving your child an instruction:

Make sure the instruction you give is clear as well as developmental or age appropriate.
See that you have your child’s attention, when you give the instruction. This may involve calling her by name and or giving a gentle touch.
Use visual prompts to help your child understand your request.
Remember to give your child enough time to respond to your request. Say the instruction then WAIT for a response.
Model the appropriate response for your child to follow, when necessary.

Giving Reinforcement

Reinforcement is anything that motivates or encourages your child. It is any environmental event that maintains or strengthens an action or behaviour. Reinforcers may involve offering a verbal praise, a special activity, music or song, and toys. Reinforcement is a reward that occurs or is given after a desired behaviour.

It is important to motivate and reward your child when she is learning a new skill. It helps her stay on track and provides a better understanding of what is required or expected of her. By rewarding your child for participating in the routine and learning the required steps to the task, you are helping to shape the behaviour or outcome.

In our example, we will provide verbal praise for Asha’s efforts in tidying up and following the instructions. We can say, “You put the toy in the basket; great tidying up!”

Both parents and teachers could also carry mini daily schedules with them throughout the day. Asha can be shown the picture of the upcoming activity (which is highly preferred) to help her understand what the reward for tidying up will be. We can also say, “First tidy up, then snack time” while showing her the picture of snack time. Once Asha has tidied up, she can hold the picture as a transition helper while walking to the next activity.

Generalizing the New Skill

A new skill can be applied in different environments, with other people, under various conditions. For some children, learning to tidy up at the child care centre or at home does not necessarily mean that they are going to perform this skill elsewhere, or with anyone other than the person who taught them.

In our example, we help Asha generalize this skill by:

Having everyone involved teach the same skill by using the same techniques.
Teaching the skill in several different locations around the classroom or home (e.g. during indoor and outdoor free play time, cubby area, lunch time and during the washroom routine).

Remember, teaching your child to follow directions will take time and patience. Keep practicing and it will get easier.

Facts About Behaviour

photo of child on slide holding a ball

We have all heard stories about children who are “out of control” or “impossible to manage”. While describing a child in this way may explain how you may feel about his behaviour, it does not give us a clear picture. Let’s take a closer look at what behaviour is so we can understand it better and plan for change!

What is behaviour?

Behaviour is anything that a person says or does. It is any action that we can SEE or HEAR. Here are some examples of behaviour:

Smiling
Sleeping
Throwing a ball
Grinding your teeth
Crying
Whistling
Scratching
Swallowing
Talking

Behaviour also has a “function” or purpose. It can be a way to meet our needs, or help us communicate. Sometimes, when a person can’t communicate, they rely on behaviour to take the place of speaking or communicating. A child may use behaviour as a way to let you know:

“I’m trying to tell you something.”
“Hey, how about some attention?”
“I feel sick.”
“It’s too loud in here.”
“Leave me alone!”
“I’m hungry.”
“I’m tired.”

What is meant by problem behaviour?

Problem, or challenging behaviour can put the health and safety of a child, and those around him, at risk. It can also interfere with a child’s learning. Sometimes, behaviour is a problem because it happens far too much, or not enough. Problem behaviours may take many forms, such as:

yelling, screaming, or shouting
hitting, kicking, or punching
running away
constantly singing or vocalizing
spitting or biting
pinching oneself or others
throwing things
doing something too often, or not often enough, like looking in someone’s eyes, or sitting still
ignoring people, pretending not to hear them

Why does he do that?

As mentioned above, all behaviour happens for a reason. As a parent, teacher or early childhood professional, it is important to better understand why your child is behaving or acting in a certain way and determine the function or purpose of the behaviour. Simply put, what does he “get” for behaving in this way?

The function of behaviour can be categorized as either to obtain (get) or avoid someone or something, objects, activities, attention, or sensory stimulation. Often, problem behaviour occurs because a child is unable to communicate or make his needs known in a way people around him can understand.

Here are some examples:

Avoid a disliked objectKevin doesn’t like to eat macaroni and cheese. Every time he has it for lunch, he bangs the table with his fists.
Avoid an unpleasant activityFaiza doesn’t like going to the dentist. When it is time for her appointment, she starts to scratch herself.
Get away from a certain person or groupChristian gets very anxious when his friends try to give him a hug. When they get too close, he screams and shouts.
To get a desired objectChantal wants to play with a toy that is on the top shelf. She can’t reach it, so she begins to scream very loudly.
Participate in an enjoyable activityMarcus wants to play in the sandbox, but there is not enough room. He starts pinching the other children in the sandbox.
Get attention from a certain person or groupTamara wants to play with her cousin Sarah. Tamara slaps Sarah on the back to get her attention.

In some situations, a child might behave in a challenging way in order to make himself more comfortable. Some children can be very sensitive to the sounds, smells, sights, or textures around them. They may look for specific ways to experience (gain access to) sensations they enjoy, or avoid sensations they dislike. It may be more difficult to figure out behaviour that serves the purpose of trying to obtain or avoid sensory stimulation.

For example:

Avoid or escape sensory stimulationBasit does not like the scratchy feeling on his head from his winter hat. He consistently removes his hat and throws it away.
To get or obtain sensory stimulationTania likes the feeling of soft and silky objects. She often touches or caresses other children’s hair.

Keep in mind this is a brief description of the basic principles in understanding behaviours and their function or purpose, but dealing with, or managing problem behaviour requires much more.

If your child’s behaviour is difficult to understand or control, and frequently puts the safety of themselves and others around them at risk, talk to a professional about your concerns.

Everyday Opportunities to Develop Communication Skills

Like many things in life, communication is a two-way street. It is an active partnership between people that involves more than words. We communicate with each other using speech, gestures, touch, and facial expressions.

Children with special needs may communicate in ways that are difficult for other people to understand. Successful communication involves both understanding and being understood by others.

As a parent, teacher or early childhood professional, you can help your child understand you by:

Looking at his face when you are speaking to him.
Emphasizing or stressing important words by saying them a bit louder.
Speaking slowly and clearly.
Using gestures, objects, or pictures to match your words.
Repeating parts of questions or instructions.

You can help your child express himself by:

Giving him time to respond to you.
Providing him with visual aids such as objects and pictures.
Starting sentences and encouraging him to complete them.
Responding to his communication attempts.

If your child has a speech and language delay, a vision or hearing impairment, a Speech Language Pathologist or agency support person can provide you with special techniques to help your child communicate.

Encouraging your Child to Communicate

Before moving on, it is helpful to think of what your child’s communication attempts might look and sound like. Here are some examples:

Looking at an object, activity, or person.
Reaching for or pointing to an object, activity or person.
Pulling another person towards an object or activity he wants.
Gesturing to show what he wants or does not want.
Using sounds or words to say what he wants or does not want.

There are many things you can do at home or in the classroom on a daily basis to develop your child’s communication skills. The strategies that follow can increase your child’s ability to express his needs and wants. The key is to be consistent in your expectations of his response.

For example, if you are teaching your child how to gesture “more” rather than grab when he wants something, respond to any attempts he makes to gesture. Initially, another adult or older sibling can help by guiding your child’s response. This person can show him what to do by modeling the gesture or physically positioning him. It is important to respond positively to your child’s communication attempts so that he experiences success and is motivated to continue communicating with you.

Communication “Temptations”

Put a small toy that your child likes in a container that he finds difficult to open on his own. Give him the container and show him the toy inside. Wait for him to ask for help opening the container. As soon as he responds by passing you the container or gesturing for you to open it, open the container and give him the toy. You can say, “Oh you want the car. Let me take it out.”

More!

Encourage your child to ask for more of something he enjoys. Begin an
activity that he enjoys then stop. Wait for a few moments and encourage him to ask for “more” using sounds, words, gestures or pictures. As soon as he makes an attempt to say “more”, continue the activity.

Here is an example using bubbles:

Take a container of bubbles and show it to your child. Open the container and begin blowing bubbles. This is the fun part! Encourage your child to look at and touch the bubbles. Show him how to pop bubbles and make popping sounds together. When the bubbles have disappeared, put the cap back on the container and ask your child if he would like more bubbles. Wait a few moments. If your child looks interested, encourage him to ask for more by gesturing, pointing to the container, saying “more” or “bubbles”. When he responds say, “You want more bubbles”. Blow more bubbles!

Try stressing these words:

“Open”
“Bubbles”
“Blow”
“Pop”
“More”
“Want”
“Finished”

Here are some other ways to encourage your child to ask for “more”:

Pour a little bit of juice into a glass.
Play some music he enjoys and then turn it off.
Tickle, bounce or lift him in the air one time and then stop.

Making Choices

Before presenting your child with a choice make sure that there are few distractions and you have his attention. Begin by giving him a choice between two objects or activities. Show and name each choice when offering it to your child. For example, “Do you want crackers (hold up cracker box) or cookies (hold up cookie box)?” When both choices have been presented, give him some time to choose. You might need to prompt him by saying, “I want___________”. In this case, he might respond by pointing to the cookie box or saying, “cookie”. Once your child has made a choice, repeat it out loud and follow through by giving him the object or starting the activity. For example, “Oh you want cookies.”

You can also teach your child to make choices using a choice board like the one pictured below. He can point to the item he wants.

Play

Play time is an excellent time to build your child’s communication skills. Try to use toys that are fun and can teach a variety of skills. For example, “Mr. Potato Head” can increase your child’s vocabulary and fine motor skills. Talk to him as you play and show him how to create different funny faces.

You can build your child’s vocabulary by using action words such as “in”, “out”, “on” and talking about:

Colours
Body parts
Clothing and accessories

Mr. Potato Head becomes a communication “temptation” when you put the pieces inside and shut the door.

Creating and Using an Activity Calendar

A calendar can serve a wide variety of purposes. Calendars can help us remember what we have to do, where we are going to be, and when we will be there.

Young children usually think about things that are happening at this moment in time. They may have difficulty understanding the difference between today, tomorrow, and next week. Whether you are a parent, teacher or early childhood professional, you can use an activity calendar to help your child to see what will happen during the day or in the future. It’s also a fun way to learn the days of the week.

An activity calendar can be created to depict the daily, weekly, or monthly schedule. A daily calendar or schedule shows the main activities that will take place during the day. A weekly calendar can focus on the events that will occur during the week. A monthly calendar is great for highlighting events that take place on a regular basis throughout the month, like swimming, or to indicate special events like a trip or birthday party.

How to Make a Calendar:

You will need:

a sheet of bristol board
mactac
velcro
markers
glue or tape
computer and printer

Steps:

Print out the days of the week.
Print out the template you would like to use daily, weekly, or monthly.
Cut out the days of the week and glue one to each box on the top row.
Cover with mactac, if available.
You may also buy a large calendar at your local office supplies store.
Once you calendar is ready, attach your symbols – you can use tape, Velcro, or sticky tack.
Create your own activity symbols by taking photographs, cutting pictures out of magazines, drawing your own, or visit the Visuals Engine to print picture symbols (simple line drawings that represent real events, activities, people, etc.) or photos.

How to use:

Let your child/children know that you will be making a special calendar, just for them.
Place the calendar in a location where it can easily be seen, at eye level and where there are not too many distractions.
Decide on the type of visuals you are going to use, such as picture symbols, or real photos. Help your child understand what the visuals mean. For example, before lunch time point to the picture and say, “Time for lunch”.
Add the picture symbols or photos of the main activity for each day, such as playground or lunch.
Adding activities that are different from your child’s usual routine is important. If your child has to miss playground because of rain and will be doing an indoor activity instead, putting it on the calendar can help him prepare for this change in his routine.
Be sure to add events that your child is looking forward to, such as birthdays and holidays.
Activity calendars help to promote the development of receptive language skills. Your child will hear and learn new words/phrases and begin to understand concepts like time. For example, “Yesterday you went swimming. Today you will go to the playground.”
Set aside a time each week to talk about plans for the upcoming week.

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