TEACHING INTERROGATIVE CONVERSATION

Hi, welcome back…. I am pleased to post another important topic to create success in the life of autistic children.

Don’t ever give up!!!

If not now,then when?
If not here, then where?
If not this, then what?
If not you, then who?

Teaching children with Autism to answer and ask questions (WH’s) is a very important task to be considered. On the other hand working on this goal will help them to increase comprehension, communication and social language skills. Answering and asking WH’s (what, who, where, when, why) can be taught by teaching the rules, using concrete concepts and by real life experiences. The first question children are taught is “what is that?”

Rules: what-object, who-person, where- place, when-time 

 thank you http://www.academicdiagnosis.com/ for the above picture
 Strategies for answering WH questions

v  Let the children memorize the rule in rote by showing different examples

v  Give opportunity to describe the “rule” for the chosen WH

v  Provide opportunities to develop concept of object,person,place and time

v  Each question has to be taught individually(first teach what, who and then where)

v  Collect pictures for what, who, where, when and why

v  provide couple of drills on sorting WH’s( child sorts out pictures of objects, people, places etc)

v  categorizing pictures on different WH’s

v  Try the same skill without pictures, make the child write down ‘banks’ of examples on each WH’s

v  Include pictures of generic and unfamiliar list like community helpers etc

v  Once the child is able to list or categorize familiar/unfamiliar persons, places, objects begin using them in sentences

v  Start asking questions by using visual cues. Ex; show the child a picture of his father sitting on the chair, ask him a question “who is sitting in the chair?” 

v   Now try without a visual cue for the rule

v  Give all the answers to the WH questions in the same place in all of the sentences, this help him/her to understand what information the various WH questions referred for

v  If your child has good reading ability, give a written statement or sentence and ask a question( give a sentence like my mom is in the kitchen)

v  Initially teach him WH’S in real short sentences( like mom went to take bath, dad went to take bath, John went to take bath etc same sentence by using different persons for understanding WHO same procedure to be followed for WHO, WHEN )

v  See to that answer is always in the same place , it’s kind of visually helping the child

v  Highlighting the cue words( mom is in the kitchen for who question the mom word can be highlighted)

v  For the generalization move the place of a selected WH in the sentence (ex; the above example can be modified as the person in the kitchen is mom) otherwise children tend to fix on the type of the sentence you framed.

v  Same rules and techniques has to be followed for other WH’s

v  For teaching why question alone consider your child ability to understand cause and effect relationship

v   Initially Use what’s next pictures and sequence cards to assist in developing cause and effect relationship

v  Ask the child why question by pairing up the sequence card or what’s next picture

v  Teach pairing skills and ask the child why the pair is associated ( why is plate and spoon associated)

v  Use ample examples of picture sequences to understand the reasoning skill

v  Give a rote clue to the child as whenever he work on why question use “ because”

v  Use real life examples for understanding the association for why

v  Matching answers to the questions

v  Matching questions to the answers

v  Choosing the picture to match with question (who is sleeping on the bed? The boy has to give a picture of father sleeping in the bed)

v  If you are asking the question verbally use very short and simple sentences then proceed to complex sentences

v  Make the sentence complex by writing a sentence which has all WH components

v    Give practice to answer the WH questions using the same kind of stimulus( ex; dog eating the bone-what, dog sitting on a log- where, dog is in the kennel-who)

 Strategies for asking WH questions: it is a self initiation skill

Ø  Giving a visual cue or a picture prompt for initiation of asking questions

Ø  Giving cue words and helping to ask questions

Ø  Giving him statements or simple sentences and helping him to transfer those in to questions

Ø  Using a time delay procedure (if the child is searching or wants something just wait for sometime instead providing with that right away. This is the right opportunity for you to teach your child to ask question like mom where is my bag?)

Ø  Help your child by presenting the novel stimuli( which triggers him to ask question) during the instructional task of asking question

Ø  Hide objects, and help him to ask questions about hidden objects, this can be done as a activity

Ø  Giving opportunity for the child to observe the model asking questions

Ø  Social stories also help your child for interrogation skills

Ø  Highlighting the cue words in the sentence for making WH’S

Ø  Teaching them that questions always end with “?” mark

Ø  Taking turns in asking questions

Ø  Role playing

As a parents and therapists we are well equipped to teach whatever necessary in the path of success   for children with autism. Here is another challenge to our kitty, I wish you a great success in teaching interrogation to our amazing talents.

Take care and see you soonJJJ

SUPPORTING SUCCESS THROUGH PROMPTING AND FADING

Hi… warm greetings

The road to success is always under construction. Such a true statement

 Today We will focus on teaching skills through prompting and how to fade them when your child is ready or independent at that skill.  Prompting and fading are two important teaching strategies, they help in teaching new skills as well as support participation in everyday routine like brushing teeth, tiding up after playing etc.

Thanx to http://www.superstock.com/ for the above picture
Prompting is a cue or a hint that helps your child to know what to do in a particular situation. Ex, when you ask your child to put on shoes you might want to point the shoes or hold up a picture of a shoe, either one of these prompt will help the child to put on shoes. Using prompts will increase the likelihood, where children will make the correct response. Prompts can take different forms depending upon what you want your child to do as well as his needs. Generally use more obvious prompts when teaching new skills as we go use less prompts/support for the skills he/she already knows( just reminders).

Types of prompts:

Physical prompts-physical prompts generally involves using your hands over your child hands (hand over hand prompt) to guide the child to attain a task/teach a skill.  It provides the greatest amount of support and is most helpful when teaching a new skill. Partial physical prompting can be practiced or lighter physical assistance once the child started showing progress in learning a skill. Ex; helping the child brush his teeth giving prompt by holding the wrist of the hand, gradually decreasing the prompt by holding his arm for greater independency.

Modeling or demonstration- is a prompt that shows the child how to do the skill or action; he learns the skill by watching or imitating the parent or others. Ex; child learns to wave his/her hand for bye by watching you saying bye to others.

Gestural prompts- these prompts include pointing, nodding and gazing at items or to a location.

Visual prompts- using visual cues (pictures, photographs, objects or signs)  to help the child to perform the correct response. Or is anything you see will help the child perform the task.

Positional prompts- the item related to skill positioned close to the child.

Verbal prompts- using verbal instructions to guide the child for the task. Verbal prompts can be helpful with certain tasks and has to be always combined with other prompts.

There are two main systems in using prompting strategy; the first system is

Most-to-least prompting: providing a level of prompting parent know will get the correct response from their child. Then gradually remove or decrease the prompt over time. When teaching a new skills use this approach. Use hand over hand prompt for initial success of the skill and he/she does half of the task modify the prompt. The other system includes

Least-to most prompting: when using this system begin by giving your child the opportunity to respond on his own/ giving chance for independency then progressively increase the prompt level until he/she responds correctly. This system works well when you want your child to be more spontaneous.  It’s not good to teach new skills because there are too many opportunities for your child to make mistakes.

Always remember helping too much and too long can be a problem, the child learns prompt dependency (this could be your child unable to do a task without you). For avoiding this use technique called Fading.

Fading: fading is the process of gradually reducing the given prompt.

Prompts can be faded many ways; the amount of force used in a physical prompt can be gradually reduced (full physical hand over hand>to support in the wrist> tapping the forearm> eventually light touch of elbow).

Fading the force of visual prompt (shrinking the picture size, lightening the picture, line drawing, using fewer pictures in the sequence)

The other way of fading the prompt; extend the time between the instruction and the support, wait for sometime may be 2 to 3 seconds before delivering the prompt

Finally changing the position when prompts delivered from (increasing the distance between you and the child)

Important steps to follow when practicing prompting and fading

Ø  Define the skill you are going to teach

Ø  Identify suitable prompts

Ø  Prompt, reinforce and fade

Ø  Monitor results

Ø  Return to strong prompt when necessary

It may take long time or little time to move your child up to success through prompting and fading, every child learns at their own pace. Just keep trying prompting and fading useful way to help your child learn new skills. Take care

The source of the information: Mr. Jonathan Weiss workshop by community living inToronto, my deepest gratitude to him.

WHEN I GET ANGRY

hi friends....happy day,
watch the model social story... a real treat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnjWSedTbq8&feature=related
 take care

WHEN I AM WITH A GROUP-a sample social story

 I need to sit in my chair

I need to listen

I need to be quiet

I need to wait  for my turn

If I want to say something I need to raise my hand

It makes my teacher proud to see me taking turn by raising hand

Then my teacher will call my name and I can have a turn to talk to my teacher and friends (preferably mention the names of the friends)

It will make my teacher and friends happy

I listen when my teacher and friends talk

And I will talk when it’s my turn

it's nice is n't it...enjoy and take care

SOCIAL STORIES

HI friends.....welcome back

 Thanx to my cousin who post nice quotes in the face book, i am glad i borrowed one of his !!!!! just for you
patience,persistence and perspiration
make an unbeatable combination for success... i totally totally agree with this. In the prevous posts ,quite a few times I mentioned about social stories, it seems you got a super duper memory..... lets work it out for the best.
Do you remember your first day of school? chances are good that mom or dad(or both) explained what time you would go, where you’d be, what to expect, how you’d handle lunch and snacks, and how they’d pick you up at the day’s end. Those kinds of conversations are immensely comforting, especially when we are negotiating or learning something brand new and fairly unknown.  Well social stories provide the same kind of comfort for students with autism and other related disabilities.

Social stories- are a tool for teaching social skills to children with autism and related disabilities. Social stories provide an individual with accurate information about those situations that he/she may find difficult or confusing. The situation is described in detail and focus is given to a few key points. The goal of the story is to increase the child’s understanding of the situation, make him more comfortable with, and possibly helping the child to make appropriate responses for the situation.  Social stories are written and read to the child about social settings in a conversational way. The social stories are created by CAROL GRAY an ASD teacher. Thanks to her:JJJ

Creation of social stories: there are a couple of important things to keep in mind while presenting the social story.

ü  The text should have simple language that’s appropriate to the student’s emotional development and level of understanding.

ü  Use more of “I” rather than less specific pronouns like “HE”OR “SHE”, makes the child feel they are the center of the story.

ü  The story should evoke mental image or picture.

ü  Use positive language and I am sure it orients the child in the success of encounter. (“ I will not run in the classroom” instead  “ I will try to sit in my chair in the classroom”)

ü  Use more of present tense helps them feel the immediacy of the successful interaction.

ü  Social story is intended to be written from the perspective of the child.

ü  Focus of the story should typically be given to the motivation of the current or selected behaviours.

ü  The expected response or outcome should be clearly defined.

ü  Replace the phrases like “I can” and “I will” with “I will try” or “I will work on” in forming sentences.

ü  When writing the story ensure to use an appropriate vocabulary and right kind of size. ( for a kinder garden use single idea in one page with picture illustrations, an elementary school child might benefit with simple paragraph with picture cues and symbols)

ü  Use picture representations, real photographs or symbols of a situation, might add interest and visual support to the selected idea or targeted social situation.

ü  A reading of a written story can be recorded on an audio tape for the child to read and understand social cues.

Writing a social story/construction of a social story: before constructing a social story parents need to brain storm and exchange information to seek opinions (persons involved in child’s current situation) about the targeted social situation where the child is having problem.

Social stories generally include four different types of sentences, and it’s helpful to have or use one of the sentences in writing a social story.

v  Descriptive: a descriptive sentence does just what it promises; describes what people do, the setting, or instructions. Ex; “I ask Maya how her dad is doing because is in the hospital now” it’s simply addresses the WH questions like WHERE the situation takes place, WHO is involved, WHAT they are doing, and  WHY  they might be doing etc.

v  Directive: a directive sentence explains the expectation in the encounter, relating the positive goal or desired behavior. It totally guides the child to the situation.

v  Perspective: a perspective sentence presents other’s point of view in the interaction, offering students a chance to identify with others feelings. Ex; “ my mom feels happy if I eat veggies and its good for health too though I don’t like them”

v  Control: a control sentence is kind of like the head of the beat, and the king of the jungle, helping children remember the story and its message. We usually add it last, after reviewing the story. Ex; whenever the bell rings its end of recess and I should stop playing and go to class right away.

Note: for every one directive sentence or control sentence in the story, there should be two to five descriptive or perspective sentences.

Implementation/fading:

Ø  The story should be shared with people involved in the child’s program

Ø  Read the story right before the social situation

Ø  The effectiveness of the story should be monitored consistently

Ø  The child becomes more stressful by reading the story, the content has to be modified to meet the needs of the child

Ø  As child masters the number of review  sessions to be lessened/or directive sentences to be reduced

Ø  The mastered story should be kept visible in the child’s environment for review when needeed
a sample social story: lets think maya has trouble interrupting people when they are talking, so lets write a story.
i can't interrupt when others are having a conversation or busy with something ,it n't polite(descriptive). i will try to tap the person on the shoulder and say excuse me. otherwise i will be be patient enough to wait till they are finished(directive). interrupting makes people angry becuse you stop them from talkingand they might forget about what they are talking(perspective), and grown ups like polite children(perspective). i will try and need to wait patiently(control).
Its very simple social story, i promise in the up coming posts we will learn to write more stories together.
I thank my instructor Ellen Arnold who provided the valuable information on social stories.
"I dream becuse there is no other way i could see it happen".... take care

ADDRESSING ECHOLALIA

HELLO, it’s a great pleasure for me to meet u guys again….I am inspired and really fell in love with this song, what a beautiful lyrics awesome is n't it. It will boost my spirits whenever I listen to this song so I thought I will start the topic with these outstanding lyrics.

When I was just a little girl

I asked my mother, what will I be

Will I be pretty will I be rich

Here is what she said to me

Que sera sera sera

Whatever will be will be

The future is not ours to see

when i was  just a little child in a school

I asked my teacher what should I be

should i paint a picture, should i sing a song

this is what her wise reply

Que sera sera sera

Whatever will be will be

The future is not ours to see....

Intervention strategies:  in the previous session we learnt that our children use echolalia for non-communicative and communicative purposes.  Well JJJ why to wait!!!

Echolalia-non communicative purposes:

• Modifying situations- some situations are stressful or anxietyproducing for the child thus results in the occurrence of echolalia. So what we can do to serve the purpose; creating a structured environment to the child, setting clear expectations, using visual support strategies. Ex; in the classroom child is aware of what’s going to happen in a day will help to overcome confusion, anxietyas well as problem behavior.  
•  Avoiding excessive talking and using simple, concrete sentences can assist the child in more readily  understanding verbal message said thus help in decreasing  echolalia.
•   Always simply verbal messages given to the child.

Echolalia-communicative purposes:

·   Providing appropriate model for the child. Ex; a child uses this echolalic utterance to request to ask for a cookie: “do you want to eat cookie john?. Here the parent provides a more appropriate verbal model for the child to echo, such as “I want a cookie or give me a cookie”, in order to demonstrate a more appropriate phrase.

·  Using visual support strategies by pairing visual symbol with written words. Ex; a picture symbol of a toilet with the written words, “I have to go to bath room” is positioned in close proximity to the child.

·  Initially physically guide the child to pick up the written card with the picture cue in it, and read the words/picture to assist in making an appropriate verbal request.

· Use simplified verbal responses and the responses should match the child’s true language level.

· Emphasize a relationship between child’s echolalia and environmental references (such as people and objects). Ex; when the child says “look there is Siva aunty” the parent responds by saying, “let’s go to Shiva aunty” and directs the child to wear his sandals.

·  Most of the times support verbal response with a visual strategy. Ex; a child with autism goes to different locations after school. He perseverates, stating “go to swimming?” to ask about days location. The parent develops a daily visual schedule representing the locations the child is scheduled to go after school. When the child perseverates, “go to swimming?”, he is referred to his visual schedule, which he readily comprehends. 

· Use of picture exchange communication system. Ex; if the child asks for puzzle not satisfied the puzzle you are handed to him, picture exchange communication system implemented to teach the child to request for specific puzzle like I want number puzzle or I want animal puzzle, rather than relying upon the generic echolalic utterance of, “I want puzzle”.

· For helping the child to avoid echoing question, ask him a question and help him by giving answer to that question. Ex; where did we go now?  Followed by I went to…………

Fine...... hope to find it useful... i am sure you are looking forward to put them in practice.... i wish u luck and take care