Teaching Communication Temptations

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURE:

● Set up situations that will allow the child to make requests. Use preferred items/activities that the child
wants. The situations should seem as natural as possible.
● Make sure you have child’s attention before you begin, or be very exaggerated when you begin the
program so that the child will look at you.
● Do not ask the child what he/she wants! Just wait ​and get ready to provide a verbal model if necessary
● When he requests the preferred item independently, reinforce the request with the preferred item and
provide functional praise (sure, here, off course you can have some, etc.).
● When she errors (or does not respond), prompt using a verbal model and continue providing opportunities
for requesting. Differentially reinforce responses demonstrated with the lowest level of prompting (i.e.,
Give your child more of the desired item/activity if he requests independently. If it is prompted, give him
less time with the activity and then make him do it again).

Note:​ If a child is minimally verbal, expect only an approximation of one word. Once the child is speaking,
increase mean length of utterance by adding one word at a time. E.g., if the child can say, “Open,” now expect
“Open door.” If the child can say, “Open door,” expect “Open door please.” Etc.

EXAMPLES:

A) Requesting:

1. Play/Eat preferred item IN FRONT of the student WITHOUT OFFERING any.

● Eat a desired item or play with a preferred toy in front of student without offering any to him. Student
must say, “I want ___”
● Hold juice in front of student as if you are drinking, do not offer any to student. Student must say, “I
want juice.”
● Place a desired food item or toy in a clear container that your child cannot open while your child is
watching. Put the container in front of your child and wait.
● Look at a book that the student enjoys in front of him without showing it to him. Student must say, “I
want book.”

2. PLAY with toys that deactivate

● Activate a wind-up toy, let it deactivate, and hand it to your child
● Start a favourite game with your child, then stop the game and wait
● Open a jar of bubbles; blow bubbles, then close the jar tightly. Hand the closed jar to your child.
● Blow up a balloon and hold it up. Wait before letting it fly around the room.
● Put an object that makes noises in an opaque bag and shake the bag. Wait for the child to ask what it
is.
 Teaching Communication Temptations

3. ASK THE CHILD TO DO SOMETHING BUT DON’T GIVE HIM WHAT HE NEEDS BUT WAIT FOR HIM TO ASK
● Give your child the materials for an activity of interest that necessitates the use of an instrument for
completion. Examples:
● Put paper in front of student tell him to color, student must say, “I need crayon.”
● “Do your cutting” – but don’t give him scissors
● “Drink your juice” – but don’t give him a straw
● Give him a cup, but no milk/juice/water
● Give him ice cream/pudding/soup, but no spoon
● CHAIR MISSING and ask child to sit and child asks “Where is my chair.” Or says, “I need chair”
● Tell student to eat lunch without a utensil. Student must say “I need a (utensil).”

4. Teaching PROTESTS by withholding items from student.

● Hold and offer a non-preferred food item or toy to your child. Teach him to say, “No” (or “No thank
you”) in a calm voice by modeling the appropriate language.
● Tell student to go on break, go back to desk, go to snack… but hold him back so that he cannot go.
Student must say, “Let me go.”
● Let student play with a toy, grab the toy out of the student’s hand. Student must say, “Give it back.”
● Put a familiar toy together the wrong way (ex.- Mr. Potato Head put body parts in wrong place.)
Student must say, “It’s in the wrong place.” Or “no” or “that’s silly”
● Look at a book together upside down. Student must say “It’s upside down.”
● “GO AWAY, STOP, GIVE THAT BACK” – Teach this language during play (text cues will help). Example:
Remove a piece of an activity that your child is playing with (puzzle, train track, potato head, etc.), hold
it, and look expectantly at your child.
● Put your hand in the way of the train/car/etc. that your child was playing with. Teach “Move” or
“Move your hand.”
● When your child is on the way to do something/go somewhere, stand in his way and pretend not to
notice him there until he requests for you to move.
● Hold up a toy cat (or other item) and say, “Look, a dog.” Teach him to say, “No” or “No, it’s a cat.” Hold
up a cow and say, “Oink” Think of other comments that are a bit silly.

5. ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE

● Place a desired item in a container that student cannot open. Offer container to student, let him
attempt to open it. Student must say, “I need help.” If student likes bubbles you can use a bottle of
bubbles and close it tight before asking student to blow some.
● Start putting a simple puzzle together. After student has put in a few pieces, offer him a piece that
doesn’t fit. Student must say, “It doesn’t fit.” Also accept “I need help.”
● Before leaving to go to the park (or other preferred location), stand with your hand holding the door
closed by the doorknob (Your child should request, “Open” or “Open the door”)
● Assist your child to put on one shoe, but hold the second out of reach.
● Before rushing to help your child with buttons or zippers, wait.
 Teaching Communication Temptations

B) Commenting

1. Oh no!
● Engage your child in an activity with a substance that can be easily spilled (or dropped, broken, torn,
etc.). Suddenly spill some of the substance on the table or floor in front of your child and wait. Model
words like, “Oh no,” “Uh oh,” “Oh man,” etc.

2. Repetitive Routines
● Establish a pattern of commenting. After the pattern is established, leave out a part and wait for a
response. Examples:
o Hold up a stuffed animal under a table and say hello to it when it pops up over and over. Once
you have done this 5+ times, hold up the stuffed animal and wait (without saying hello)
o Push a train around the track. Each time that it gets to the bridge say, “Choo. Choo.” Once
you have done this 5+ times, stop the train at the bridge and just wait (without saying, “Choo
choo)
o Drive around a car and keep gently crashing it into other toy items while saying, “Crash!” Do
this 5+ times, and then drive the car into something and just wait (without saying, “Crash”)

3. Fill in the Blanks:

● Sing a favourite/familiar song and stop before the end of the line. Wait for the child to fill in the blank.
● Pause before the end of a familiar phrase. Examples:
o 1, 2, …. (three)
o Ready, set, …. (go)
o Time to wash your… (hands)
o Brush your… (teeth)
● Climb the stairs and say, “Up, Up, Up” as you step on each stair. Then pause as you take the next step.
(Will your child fill in the blank?) – Say “Down, down, down” as you descend the stairs.