Creating Communication Opportunities

Summary

Remember to focus on what your child is trying to communicate and not necessarily how. How your child communicates could include any combination of the following: real words, word-like productions, gestures, facial expressions, body movements, and behavior. If you child is using an AAC system, communication partners need to model (or use) the device during their interactions with them. See this video for more information.

Arts and Crafts

General Strategies to Encourage Communication

These strategies invite the child to communicate and recognize them as a communication partner.

• Use wait or pause time. By using pauses, your child has time to process and respond.

• Pretend you don't know what to do next: "I forgot what comes next" OR "I don't know what comes next."

• Do the wrong thing. For example, if you are painting with your child, have all materials available, and give your child the paint brush but no paints. If you are coloring with your child, give him paper but no crayons. This sets up an opportunity for your child to initiate communication.

• Limit questions requiring yes/no answers. Use more open-ended questions, such as: "What's next" or "What do I do with ____."

• Comment/talk about what's happening. For example: "Look at what you painted!" "That is a tree!" "You like painting!"

Ideas for Facilitating Communication while Doing Arts and Crafts Activities

• Provide opportunities for your child to make choices.

  • Let them choose what they want to do first, next, last within each activity.

  • Show them 2 or 3 colors and let them pick.

• If your child has an AAC system, be sure it is with him while participating in arts and crafts activities.

Possible Target Vocabulary

Consult with your child's Speech and Language Therapist for specific suggestions.

Gross Motor Play

General Strategies to Encourage Communication

These strategies invite the child to communicate and recognize them as a communication partner.

• Use wait time or pause time. Pausing gives your child time to process and respond.

• Pretend you don’t know what to do next. (Say something like: “I forget what comes next” OR “I don’t know what comes next”.)

• Do the wrong thing (for example, put the ball on your head).

• Limit questions requiring yes/no answers. Use more open-ended questions such as: "What’s next" or " What do I do with ____."

• Describe/talk about what is happening. (For example: “Look how far that ball went!”, “That slide is fun!”)

Ideas for Facilitating Communication During Gross Motor Play

• Play gross motor games that allow for natural turn taking opportunities.

• Provide opportunities for your child to make choices.

  • Show them 2 or 3 items (i.e. picture of a ball and a swing) and let them pick.

• If your child has an AAC system, be sure it is with them while playing the game.

Possible Target Vocabulary

Consult with your child's Speech and Language Therapist for specific suggestions.

Math Activities

General Strategies to Encourage Communication

• Use wait time or pause time. Using pauses gives your child time to process and respond.

• Pretend you don’t know what to do next. (Say something like: I forget what comes next. Or I don’t know what comes next).

• Do the wrong thing (For example, if they want more than one, only give them one, give them something small instead of something big).

• Limit questions requiring yes/no answers. Use more open-ended questions such as what comes next.

• Comment/talk about what is happening (For example, You have more than me!)

Ideas for facilitating communication during a math activity:

• Provide opportunities for your child to make choices

• If your child has an AAC system, be sure it is with them

Possible Target Vocabulary

Consult with your child's Speech and Language Therapist for specific suggestions.

Mealtime

General Strategies to Encourage Communication

Theses strategies invite the child to communicate and recognize them as a communication partner.

• Use wait time or pause time. By using pauses your child has time to process and respond.

• Pretend you don’t know what to do next “I forget what comes next” OR “I don’t know what comes next.”

• Do the wrong thing. For example, put something in the wrong place, give your child an empty cup without juice or milk in it. This sets up an opportunity for your child to initiate communication.

• Limit questions requiring yes/no answers. Use questions such as: What next’s/ What do I do with ____?

• Describe/talk about what is happening. For example, “These chips are so yummy!” “You really like those cookies.”

Ideas for facilitating communication during mealtime:

• If possible, include your child in meal prep. Setting the table, helping with making the meal, getting bread out for sandwiches.

• Provide opportunities for your child to make choices. For example, “Do you want juice (show them the juice) or milk (show them milk container). If they point to juice, there is no need for them to say juice because they already answered your question.

• If your child has an AAC system, be sure it is in the kitchen/at the table.

Possible Target Vocabulary

Consult with your child's Speech and Language Therapist for specific suggestions.

Music

General Strategies to Encourage Communication

Theses strategies invite the child to communicate and recognize them as a communication partner.

• Use wait time or pause time. By using pauses your child has time to process and respond.

• Pretend you don’t know what to do next “I forget what comes next” OR “I don’t know what comes next.” This provides an opportunity for your child to initiate communication.

• Do the wrong thing. (For example, put on the wrong song/music video. This provides an opportunity for your child to initiate communication.

• Limit questions requiring yes/no answers. Use more open-ended questions such as: What’s next/ What do I do with ____.

• Describe/talk about what is happening (For example: I like this song! You like this song!)

Ideas for facilitating communication during mealtime:

• Provide opportunities for your child to make choices.

  • Show 2 or 3 pictures of favorite songs and let them pick.

• If your child has an AAC system, be sure it is with him.

Possible Target Vocabulary

Consult with your child's Speech and Language Therapist for specific suggestions.

Playing a Game

General Strategies to Encourage Communication

Theses strategies invite the child to communicate and recognize them as a communication partner.

• Use wait time or pause time. By using pauses your child time has time to process and respond.

• Pretend you don’t know what to do next. “ I forget what comes next.” OR “I don’t know what comes next.”

• Do the wrong thing. For example, play the game the wrong way. This provides opportunities for your child to initiate communication.

• Limit questions requiring yes/no answers. Use more open-ended questions such as: What next’s/ What do I do with ____.

• Describe/talk about what is happening. For example, “This game is fun!” “ You are winning!”

Ideas for facilitating communication during mealtime:

• Play games that allow for natural turn taking opportunities.

• Provide opportunities for your child to make choices.

  • Show 2 or 3 games and let them pick.

• If your child has an AAC system, be sure it is with them while playing the game

Possible Target Vocabulary

Consult with your child's Speech and Language Therapist for specific suggestions.

Reading Books

General Strategies to Encourage Communication

Theses strategies invite the child to communicate and recognize them as a communication partner.

• Use wait time or pause time. By using pauses your child has time to process and respond.

• Encourage communication by saying, “I wonder what will happen” and then pause or wait until your child does or says something.

• Limit questions requiring yes/no answers. Use more open-ended questions. For example, if reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a question could include “What happened to the caterpillar?” instead of asking your child to label all of the different things the caterpillar ate.

• Describe/talk about what is happening. For example, “This book is silly!” “ You like this book!”

Ideas for facilitating communication during mealtime:

• Incorporate opportunities for your child to take turns (i.e. turn the page, you point to a picture and comment. For example if reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears, you could say something like “That bear is so small” then pause and wait for your child to do or communicate something.

• Provide opportunities for your child to make choices.

  • Choose a book or story he wants to read.

  • Choose where he wants to read the book

• If your child has an AAC system, be sure it is with him while reading the book.

Possible Target Vocabulary

Consult with your child's Speech and Language Therapist for specific suggestions.