Dear parent or family member,
Some children may have difficulty initiating communication. It's like when we sometimes may not quite know how to get a conversation going if the topic is new or if we are talking to someone unfamiliar. Here are some tips and guidelines on ways to utilize choices to create communication that is more dynamic and could result in more responses from your child.
Let me know how it goes using this technique!
All my best,
Jill Flores
Tips:
• Pick two items that are very different (e.g., an apple and a cookie or bubbles and a puzzle).
• Make sure one of the items is something your child loves. Let's pretend in this case your child loves cookies!
Guidelines:
1. Get face-to-face with your child.
2. Hold up the two choices close to you.
3. Move the preferred item toward the child if he or she doesn’t see it.
Hold it up out of reach if your child reaches for it and touches it.
2. Hold up the two choices close to you.
3. Move the preferred item toward the child if he or she doesn’t see it.
Hold it up out of reach if your child reaches for it and touches it.
4. Wait. You are waiting for your child to respond.
Maybe your child reaches for the cookies, maybe she says "uh uh uh," maybe she tries to say the word.
Maybe your child reaches for the cookies, maybe she says "uh uh uh," maybe she tries to say the word.
5. When you get a response, model communication at a level that is slightly above
what your child does (e.g., if your child reaches, maybe you decide to model
pointing; if your child vocalizes, you would then model a word).
If you don’t get a response, you might need to tempt your child by giving him a small taste.
Questions you can ask yourself:
1. Was your child interested in what you held up?
2. What did he do to communicate?
3. What’s the next level of communication?
4. What words might she say? (Try to offer items that can be paired with a word your child is likely to imitate).
Credits/ Where to go for more information:
Communication Temptations
It Takes Two to Talk® - The Hanen Centre
Communication Temptations
It Takes Two to Talk® - The Hanen Centre
It Takes Two to Talk, Parent Training Groups in San Francisco
Picture of Apple and Cookie, "Picture This... Professional Edition,"
Silver Lining Multimedia, Inc, 2005 (used for instructional purposes
only within this article).
Picture of Apple and Cookie, "Picture This... Professional Edition,"
Silver Lining Multimedia, Inc, 2005 (used for instructional purposes
only within this article).
