Mand Verbal Behavior
Hi, my name is Narissa. I’m a clinical supervisor here at Achieve Beyond, and I just wanted to share a few tips with you on how to help your child ask for things while at home, a little bit more frequently. So rather than having your child lead you by pulling your hand, we really want to try to set up a few situations that will have your child need to come to you and let you know that they would like or need something.
Set Preferred Items Within View
The first thing that you can do is make it a habit of placing items that are preferred, so maybe their favorite toys, their favorite food items out of reach, but within view. This means that the child will know that the item is there, but they don’t have a way to gain access to it without coming to you for assistance.
Use Hard to Open Containers
Another way to help your child become a little bit more comfortable with asking for help or asking for you to assist them with getting something is by placing items in containers that are a little difficult to open.
So maybe handing them a container of their favorite snack that they’re not able to open on their own or placing a toy or small item that they really like in a glass container. By giving the child something that’s in a container that they cannot open themselves, it’ll create a situation where they need to come and ask you for help.
Engage the Communication
So that means that maybe the child will point to the item them to let you know that there’s an issue. Maybe for children that have a little bit more verbal ability, that’ll lead them to ask you for help or tell you that they need that particular item.
Give Them Partial Pair Items
Another way that we can kind of set the stage is by maybe handing a child one shoe instead of two, that might prompt them to ask you for the other one.
Another thing that we can do is stand in front of a door, but not open the door. That way the child will have to let you know that they need to get out the door or that you need to open it for them.
