Hide and Find Demonstrated
My first challenge, upon meeting a child who is a Little Wanderer and not yet aware that language could be useful, is to show that child that the sounds coming out of my mouth are meaningful to him or her. Actually, I want that child to know that the words his or her parents speak are meaningful. Hide and Find games are very convincing little arguments in the case that I am building.I have to build the case point-by-point because both the child and the parent might misunderstand the situation, to some degree. Parents rarely comprehend that a young child with autism really does not know why people communicate. Children with autism need anything that involves social interaction demonstrated clearly and repeatedly because social interactions happen too fast, involve too many things going on simultaneously, and rarely happen the exact same way each time.
In these First Hide and Find games we focus on teaching a child to look for things and that we are looking for things together. We communicate to the child that we are looking for something by using a calling melody and then finding things dramatically.
This video model is really for parents to see how this game can be played. You will want to help your child find something that is personally important to him or her. You can hide it under anything but use the calling melody to help your child understand that you are looking for something. If this melody is not interesting enough to attract your child's attention, you may want to use a song. Use any melody you want with the song but once you have chosen a melody, try to use that melody over and over for Hide and Find games. The second video clip on this page shows you the singing version of this Hide and Find game. Again, remember to hide something that your child will care about. Don't make it obvious that you are hiding your child's favorite things, just make it obvious that you are helping your child find his or her favorite things.
Point 1: There is always a reason that people communicate.
In a Hide and Find Game, the reason we communicate is because something important is lost and the talker or singer will help you find it.
Point 2: (This one is for parents)Your child does not understand the reason people communicate and it is more important to teach the reason than it is to teach the words. At this stage, you are demonstrating looking and finding for your child rather than expecting him or her to do anything. You can gradually turn this game into a pointing game where you point to the place where your child should look. At first, it is just important that your child sees you as a Finder and hears the melody, calling or singing, as associated with looking together for important or cool stuff.
Hide and Find with Words for Hiding Places
This Hide and Find game can evolve into a game where you tell your child where to look for things that are hidden.
Here are two clips that show how this game version is taught--first a video model that was shown to this child so he could see the game. He was a child who liked to watch video and he readily played the game after seeing the video model. In the second clip, this child does not yet comprehend the words for the hiding places. He does understand that he needs to look, however, and he likes the structure of the game very much.
Eventually, playing these games help most children learn to listen and gradually comprehend the words for wherever the object is hidden. A great deal of vocabulary can be taught this way. We created more structure by sitting and looking in this version but often parents keep playing Hide and Find Games naturally throughout the day, telling a child where to look for things and then making sure the child can find it quickly. Sometimes parents must point to where the item is hidden and sometimes not. Sometimes, learning new vocabulary takes only a few rounds and with other children, it takes weeks. Some children, regardless of how verbal vocabulary is taught, cannot understand the words. In this case, we might use pictures to show the child where to look, teaching the child Hide and Find with picture symbols. Two months or two years later, this same game taught verbally could be successful.
Here are two clips that show how this game version is taught--first a video model that was shown to this child so he could see the game. He was a child who liked to watch video and he readily played the game after seeing the video model. In the second clip, this child does not yet comprehend the words for the hiding places. He does understand that he needs to look, however, and he likes the structure of the game very much.
Eventually, playing these games help most children learn to listen and gradually comprehend the words for wherever the object is hidden. A great deal of vocabulary can be taught this way. We created more structure by sitting and looking in this version but often parents keep playing Hide and Find Games naturally throughout the day, telling a child where to look for things and then making sure the child can find it quickly. Sometimes parents must point to where the item is hidden and sometimes not. Sometimes, learning new vocabulary takes only a few rounds and with other children, it takes weeks. Some children, regardless of how verbal vocabulary is taught, cannot understand the words. In this case, we might use pictures to show the child where to look, teaching the child Hide and Find with picture symbols. Two months or two years later, this same game taught verbally could be successful.