Communication and Sensory Ideas
Communication and Sensory Home Learning Ideas
Sensory
- Sensory Stories are a great way to tell stories and building in sensory elements help us to explore and immerse ourselves in the story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdxHNRd87Gc
- Story massage involves the use of simple massage which are associated with spoken words to build up an engaging story. https://www.nacwellbeing.org/guidance/interactions-relationships/story-massage-hickory-dickory-dock/
- Touch is used to reassure people. It is a way of saying ‘I am here’ and at times when a person is in need of comfort has the power to communicate more than words can. https://www.nacwellbeing.org/guidance/touch/reassuring-touch-wellbeing/
- Set up a free account to play games and activities on your iPad at home https://www.helpkidzlearn.com/shop/online-software/games-and-activities
- Water play is a great way of encouraging movement. Adding a little bit of bubble bath to the water will enable your child to get a response to their movements as the bubbles begin to froth. Use clear bowls and try adding food colouring or encourage your child to pour water from one container into another.
- Try exploring light and the contrast we can create with shadows https://unlockingtheworldblog.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/at-home-04-light-1.pdf
- Make your own sensory bottle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7zp7KbxbKY
- Soundabout are doing regular live making music sessions for learners which you can join via Facebook or YouTube to warm up your voices and enjoy making music and sounds.
Early Communication
- Bryony Rust, a Speech and Language Therapist explains how Intensive Interaction works by tuning in and responding to your child https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwoFKHiCSWU
- Gina Davis, a Speech and Language Therapist explains how you can use the approach of Attention Autism at home to develop join attention and offer choices https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SBbofzKNxM
- PECS- please speak to your Speech and Language Therapist to discuss what phase of the Picture Exchange Communication System your child is using and how you can develop this further at home.
Makaton
- Singing Hands show us lots of vocabulary with our Makaton signs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSlfHBj3fzo
- Moonbeam Theatre are posting a weekly sign of the week https://moonbeamtheatre.com/sign-of-the-week/
- Enjoy a Makaton signed story of The Tiger who Came to Tea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwmkzeTAJ8I&feature=youtu.be
Developing Speaking and Listening Skills
Colourful Semantics add structure to create meaningful language. There are 6 key word types which are colour coded.
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Who?
- Look at photos of family, friends or pets and comment on who you can see in the pictures.
- Talk about who is on the FaceTime call?
- Talk about people who help us and who delivers the post or Amazon deliveries!
Doing?
- Play Simon Says/ charades with action words
- Ask teddy or dolly to act out some ‘doing words’, “teddy is sleeping” “ teddy is jumping”.
What?
- Share a book and take it in turns to point to something and ask ‘What is it?’
- At snack-time (either with other children or pretend with toys) ask the child/toys ‘What shall we have to drink?’
- Put puzzle pieces/toys/pictures into a bag. Take it in turns to take one out and say ‘What have I got?’
When?
- Discuss different times of the day, when is it lunchtime?
- Comment on when we will be doing activities, we will go to the park this afternoon.
Where?
- Share a book, taking it in turns to ask ‘Where’s the …?’ and then find it on the page.
- Sort the clean washing together: put it into piles of socks, pants, trousers, etc. or Mummy’s, Daddy’s, boy’s, etc. Take it in turns to choose something from the basket and say ‘Where (do the) pants go?’
- Use a variety of toys such as a doll’s house and furniture, farmyard and animals, playground and children, etc. Take it in turns to choose an item (e.g. bed) and ask ‘Where (does the) bed go?
Barrier Games- Put a big book between you so that they cannot see what the other is doing. This means that there are no longer any visual clues available within the game and the success of the activity relies on developing verbal communication, use the attached communication boards to support
The types of activity that work well are:
- Making things/creating scenes – each person has an identical set of objects, e.g. beads to make a necklace, Lego, playdough, small world sets. The Speaker creates something with his/her equipment and then has to give the Listener instructions so that they can do the same with theirs.
- Drawing detail/colouring a picture – each person is given the same outline/picture. The Speaker tells the Listener what to do to add extra detail e.g. “Draw a red flower on the mug.” “Colour the boy’s trousers blue.”
Guessing Games
Games are a great way of developing language and social communication skills. It is important to take turns and listen to others.
- 20 Questions- Who Am I?
- Guess Who- use the communication board to play this popular game at home.
Memory Skills
Memory is important for many aspects of language such as developing understanding of language, verbal reasoning and learning new vocabulary.
- Kims Game
- “I went to the shop and I bought…”
Social Communication
- A nice learning opportunity about sometimes what people say is different to what they mean e.g. home learning is a piece of cake! https://classroom.thenational.academy/lessons/non-literal-language-71jk6r?activity=video&step=1
- What can we learn about humour and telling jokes? https://classroom.thenational.academy/lessons/humour-and-jokes-cnj6ct
Covid-19
Please see the social stories listed below which may help to support your child’s understanding and reduce anxieties around Covid-19.
- Coronavirus social story
- Facemasks social story
Adding Structure and Routine
- Working for cards with 3/ 4/ 5 stars- Reward positive behaviour by making a deal and working towards a motivational toy/ activity
- Now/ next cards- Add predictability to routines by visually displaying what is happening now and coming next.
- Visual timetable symbols- create a visual timetable for the day, add a finished box to help children transition to the next activity.
