TEACHING TO TALK ABOUT PAST EVENTS OR EXPERIENCE

HI, HELLO, NAMASKAR

Good to see you after a long break!!! And I am overwhelmed to meet you guys with this awesome topic. I have experienced parents asking me “why my child does not understand or get confused when I ask him questions about what he did or experienced?” yep it’s little difficult for children with autism and other related disabilities. Most of the time, they end up giving wrong answers or get frustrated when we insist them too much. Once I asked one of my adorable student about what he did in his grandma’s place, believe me he was struggling to answer my question for about an hour. It ended up in a big tantrum and he was in tears because he could not answer my question, finally I had to let him go. I wish I would have used some of the strategies mentioned below.  But as we all know every problem has a solution and we are here to look in to the possible solutions/strategies to overcome this issue.

“Never give up”-Go over, Go under, Go around, and Go through

But never give up

thank you http://www.skylightcentre.co.uk/ for the above the picture 

Strategies for answering questions about past events:

JEstablishing familiar and consistent routine: By following familiar and consistent routine improves child’s ability to refer to past. Child gets clue about the past events and able to answer questions, because the context is so familiar and his day is always structured in the same way.

JFollowing visual schedule: Use pictures to increase understanding about his routine. When he is experiencing difficulty recalling the events, the provided visual information helps him to communicate about what happened before? 

JPreparation: Preparing about the event or activity (mom and you are going to our grandma’s place @ 4’o clock by car) well in advance will help the child to register and able to relate to his past when you ask him questions.

JCollecting some cue (it could be an object or a picture) from the place where he/she had gone. If he visits any place help him to collect some concrete cue about that place.  Ex; whenever he visits beach you can ask him to collect shells, later when you ask him about where he went. He will rely on the concrete representation; he has collected from the beach.

JTaking a picture/photograph:  I recommend parents to own video camera and take photographs of the events later you can talk and ask questions about the same. Camera is the best gift/tool for you, to use for teaching your child about concepts.

J Maintaining cue cards:  He can write down about the events happened in the size of a business card for future referral. Ex; after each event he can write it as “swimming over, park over” etc.

JThemes:  child is encouraged to make themes about the events. Ex: collecting pictures about Christmas or Diwali festival and sticking in his/her theme book.

JChild maintaining a small DIARY and noting down the events, later when you ask him questions about the past incidents, he can use this as a referral.

JOlder children can follow TO DO LIST, mention about the events

JRecording to the tape: Encourage the child to voice record about the events. This has to be done immediately after the event, this act as a referral when he is needed.

JNumbering down the events also helps the child to answer the questions related to past events. Children always relate or remember concrete stuff, numbering the events is a concrete way of understanding his routine. Ex: 1 is going to hotel 2 is order the food 3 is eating 4 is paying the bill.

JGive the child a ‘cue word’ and asking him/her to frame the sentence for the question (about the past event). Basically provide clues/hints about the events for the child to be successful in relating to his past.

JFor the success, initially ask questions immediately after the event or task.

JFrame your questions with concrete information and be very specific. Ex; where did u go now? Instead where did you go with your father after dinner? ‘Now’ is an abstract term, and it’s difficult for your child to process.

JA diary/a visual schedule can be followed for exchanging information between school and home.

JModeling (provide opportunity for a child to see his peers/siblings answering/talking about past events.)

Make sure you support success for your child to make the impossible possible. I wish  you a grand success. Take care