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Communication and Sensory Ideas

 

Communication and Sensory Home Learning Ideas

Sensory

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

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

 

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.

 

 

 

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