Hey all!! Today’s post is our final tip in our Creating Communication Opportunities series. We talked about using containers as a barrier and presenting a toy with missing parts in our previous posts.
As a reminder, we are creating communication opportunities by strategically changing your child’s environments to inspire them to interact with you. Today we are focusing on using physical distance as a barrier. AKA- putting a preferred item out of reach
1. Choose a preferred toy that your child typically has easy access to.
2. Put the object in a visible place (like a shelf) that you know he or she is unable to reach. (Although we all know the boldness and sheer determination a toddler can exhibit!)
3. Wait for your child to notice the item and then initiate some sort of engagement with you to direct your attention to the desired object. (This is a great opportunity to work on pointing and eye contact!).
4. If your child doesn’t notice the item, feel free to say “look!” and point or subtly say “I wonder where ___ is.. ”.
5. As always, wait 5-10 seconds after they notice the object and model the desired target gesture/sign/word (e.g., look, up, get, help, point at object, label object) if your child needs a “hint” as to what to say.
6. Accept any attempt or approximation and reward them with play time!
So there you have it! 3 tips to use with your child to inspire them to initiate communication with you. I hope you feel more empowered to work on communication skills during everyday life!
As a reminder, we are creating communication opportunities by strategically changing your child’s environments to inspire them to interact with you. Today we are focusing on using physical distance as a barrier. AKA- putting a preferred item out of reach
1. Choose a preferred toy that your child typically has easy access to.
2. Put the object in a visible place (like a shelf) that you know he or she is unable to reach. (Although we all know the boldness and sheer determination a toddler can exhibit!)
3. Wait for your child to notice the item and then initiate some sort of engagement with you to direct your attention to the desired object. (This is a great opportunity to work on pointing and eye contact!).
4. If your child doesn’t notice the item, feel free to say “look!” and point or subtly say “I wonder where ___ is.. ”.
5. As always, wait 5-10 seconds after they notice the object and model the desired target gesture/sign/word (e.g., look, up, get, help, point at object, label object) if your child needs a “hint” as to what to say.
6. Accept any attempt or approximation and reward them with play time!
So there you have it! 3 tips to use with your child to inspire them to initiate communication with you. I hope you feel more empowered to work on communication skills during everyday life!
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