Please or to access all these features

SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

teaching 'like/don't like' - any ideas?

13 replies

sphil · 09/01/2012 22:11

I want to teach DS2 (9, severely autistic) to say, or indicate, that he likes or doesnt like something. At the moment he doesnt understand the words - so actually I need to teach him the concept first. Any ideas on fun ways to do this? We have used ABA/VB in the past, so could do so here, though am open to any ideas at all.
TIA

OP posts:
TheLightPassenger · 09/01/2012 22:23

I think we did this via food, with an interim step of "yucky" for food DS didnt like, to go towards a concept of "not like". Is food motivating for your DS at all?

sphil · 09/01/2012 22:35

Oh yes Grin. Yucky is a good idea - though as Im also trying to widen his food choices atm, it might be backfire on me!

OP posts:
zzzzz · 09/01/2012 23:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

moondog · 10/01/2012 09:20

Use a picture of a smiley face and sad face, or a red cross and a green tick. Start with things you know he likes and put them by the smiley/green. Take a few things you know he hates and put them by the cross face/red.
If he is interested in what you asnd your family do, model this to him too. putting objects by each, a few trials at a time.

Incredibly useful.
I have done tihs successfully with adults with LD.
If you start with something really salient like food, it makes it easier to make the link between the symbol/object/picture. Then you can move onto other things like favourite people or places.
I am working on something like this with a theatre company at present to get kids with LD to express their reaction to the performance by picking one of 2/3 symbols as they leave the auditorium and putting it in a box, rather like the token boxes in Tesco.

Talking Mats uses this principle too and I recommend it highly. Have you discussed this with an s/lt as it is a commonly known and used procedure, but wouldn't be too difficult for you to tackle yourself.

sphil · 11/01/2012 13:10

Aha Moondog - now Talking Mats is why I'm asking the question. A teacher at school went on a course and recommended it to me - Ive got the book and think it sounds great for DS ( though he is apparently on the threshhold of their success criteria as his understanding is only at 2 key word level). But the book starts from the premise that the user already understands the concepts 'like/don't like' - so I need to tackle that first. Thank you zzzzzz for your ideas - will use some of those categories for sure and link with the smiley/ sad face.

Its good to know that you recommend Talking Mats Moondog Smile.
The calendar is really working btw!

OP posts:
moondog · 11/01/2012 17:45

That's great to know Sphil!
If he can get the calendar he will get the like/don't like stuff with a bit of work.

I like TM very much but it needs to be pared back even further for some kids/adults, as it sounds like it does for your lad.

sphil · 11/01/2012 21:48

Yes, we'll start very simply. Will let you know how it goes!

OP posts:
AgnesDiPesto · 11/01/2012 22:16

We taught this recently - similar to moondog except as DS can read a bit we used words and matched. He got it really fast and it has been a real catalyst to him using language. He's realised its really powerful and now we get a constant stream of 'i don't like school' 'i don't like trousers' etc etc his language has made a real leap simply because of the phrase 'i don't like'. Initially he got very confused with I want and I like so the matching helps as he is not being given the item so not confusing it with requesting.

Can you link me to the moondog calendar idea? I have to make one for DS this week.

moondog · 11/01/2012 23:19

Agnes, I found an old post which covers it.

With understanding the concept of time, I have found a simple calendar invaluable. I like this one as the spaces for the days are nice and big
organised Mum Home Planner

Here is what to do.

Start at the begining of a month. For about 3 weeks, simply get the child to cross off the relevant day of the month with a big cross from each corner of the box. Do it before bed and tell (sign and speech) them the day is finished.

They should start getting the idea of the page filling up (ie time passing).

You can then start putting in pictures depicting important future events (g parties, swimming, cinema trip,Christmas) What is nifty about this calendar is that it comes with lots of little activity stickers. I also make my own from Widgit Writing with Symbols package or Google Images or digital photos or drawings. Keep it simple to begin with.

Gradually (it may take months, that's ok, important thing is to do it every day)the child will realise that the event is coming closer. Also good for left to right skills and counting (e.g. birthdays, special holidays, family and friends visiting. Our big one at present is a skiing holiday).

You can then start to ask the child what happened that day when they are crossing off the day at night. Whatever they come up with is fine (eg even just something like 'sandpit') Honour their contribution and draw a little picture (or find a suitable one) to put in the box for that day and then cross it out.Even if the child is not able to communicate something, you can pick out something important from their day and put in a picture (e.g. for my kids today, it would be playing with the child minder's baby).

You don't have to have a picture for every day . Sometimes a cross may be enough. Equally though, put in the box anything of importance (eg for us it may be a tag from a special treat box of cereal or cinema tickets or a photo of something we made.)

You can then add a simple code to denote school/non school days. I use a red sticky dot (buy sheets of them in WHSmith)and put it in top right hand corner of every box which denotes a non school day.

If they start writing, you can transition to that (although even if they do, everyone loves pictures.) Ihave done this every night for 4 years and my children love it. Dd often goes to bed with a stack of calendars and flicks through them, enjoying reflecting on past events (eg holidays, the time she was sick on her sohes, the night a fox ripped open the rubbish bags, the days we went to the cinema.)

sphil · 17/01/2012 20:39

It's not going very well. He can discriminate between the two faces for 'like' and 'don't like' but doesn't seem to get the idea that he has to put the picture under the appropriate face on the mat. Just says the word and then puts it down anywhere.

Maybe I've made it too complicated to start with - need to work on 'like' on its own first, as Agnes suggested?

OP posts:
sphil · 17/01/2012 20:45

Sorry, it was zzz who suggested it.

OP posts:
AgnesDiPesto · 17/01/2012 20:53

Can you do it hand over hand and then reward him when he gets it right (even tho you are actually doing the matching), don't reward with the item you are matching use something totally different so if you match food to like / don't like he gets to play with a toy as a reward - use something quick like a spinning top and then prompt another match - then reward with toy etc.
We did match between like and don't like (it was like and want he got confused with). But we prompted lots of trials in a row by hand over hand, then just pointing and then DS did it himself.

Thanks for the calendar post MD.

sphil · 17/01/2012 22:02

Yes think I will do that. Thanks Agnes

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page