Topic “Engagement”  

- Desired and undesired toys, other objects

To begin with hold out a liked toy and a neutral object like a piece of paper - encourage the child to reach for what they want.

When they can do this consistently hold out two toys - encourage the child to reach to choose.

- Two types of food

- A toy that your child is motivated by.

- A small blanket.

1. Show your child the toy and let them explore it.
2. Cover the toy with the blanket.
3. Pull the blanket off the toy - you could say 'peek a boo' or name the toy as you uncover it.
4. Repeat this a few times and watch your child's reaction - do they anticipate you are going to pull the blanket off? Do they attempt to get to the hidden object?
5. If your child is not looking towards the blanket when you hide the toy, try using a noisy toy so they can listen to the sound when it is hidden under the blanket.

Use a small box or bag to collect toys which target different sensory areas

e.g.

Auditory (noisy toys) toys (rattles, squeakers, shakers, musical items, drums etc.)

Visual toys (flags, streamers, Slinkies, spinners, bubbles, flashing items, torches, pop-up toys, windmills etc.)

Tactile toys (toys that feel different) (balls of different textures to squeeze, brushes of different textures to be tickled with, materials e.g. velvet, sandpaper, feathers, pots of rice/macaroni to feel, Play dough to squeeze/cut )

Scented toys (play dough, Plasticine, some rubber toys)

1. Collect some toys from each of the sensory categories described.

2. Store the toys in a container which you use only for this specific activity and is otherwise stored away from children.

3. Find a quiet comfortable place to work either at a table or on the floor. Try to make sure the child cannot easily run off or get distracted.

4. Make a show of shaking the suitcase and seeming happy about the approaching activity.

5. Take out two toys from different sensory categories and place them in front of the child - note which category of item the child chooses/reaches for and put the other item back in the suitcase.

6. Allow the child a short time to enjoy the item chosen then say 'Your name's turn' (e.g. "Mary's turn") and gently but firmly take the item for your turn.

7. Use the toy for a short time then offer it the child again. Say 'Child's name's turn'.

8. Repeat a few times but stop before the child gets bored.

9. Start the process again by offering the child a choice of toys from two different sensory categories and then follow the turn taking routine.

10. Continue with the activity for approximately 10 minutes - stop before the child gets bored.

11. Store the sensory suitcase in a secure place until the next session.

Use a selection of the following:

Paint pots and brushes, felt tips, computer painting programme, pots with different coloured bits of paper to stick and a sheet of paper.

Use, for example, one of the following sets of items:

Sand tray with spades, pots etc.

Water tray with pots, sieves, pourers etc

Rice tray with pots and pourers etc

• Digital camera
• Velcro
• Laminated sheet of paper
• Stickers
• Laminated symbols for  ‘Hello’

If you don't already have a symbol for "hello" you can find one in the Commtap Symboliser.

1. Agree with 3 familiar people that the child is going to start greeting them by saying ‘Hello’.
2. Explain to the people you have selected that the child is learning to greet another person and there are a number of steps to this.
3. Explain that the child will get a sticker reward for starting to say ‘hello’.
4. Ask the people you have selected to respond to the child’s greeting by making eye contact and saying ’hello’ with a welcoming gesture.
5. The steps for greeting include:
• Stopping
• Looking
• Gesturing
• Handing over a symbol of ‘Hello’
• Saying/signing ‘Hello’
6. Take photos of the people you want the child to greet and laminate.
7. Put the photos on a laminated sheet of A4 paper using velcro.
8. Next to each photo velcro on a laminated symbol of ‘Hello’.
9. As you approach the target person they need to stop and get down to make eye contact with the child and say and gesture ‘hello’. It is best to use just one word.
10. Help the child identify the person in the photos by pointing to the photo.
11. You model saying ‘Hello + name + welcoming gesture. As you do this point to the person’s photo and then point to the ‘hello’ symbol.
12. Support the child to do the same if needed.
13. The child gets a sticker for stopping / looking / gesturing / saying ‘Hello’ verbally.
14. As the child learns the routine slowly give fewer and fewer prompts for greeting targeted adults.
15. Keep giving stickers for as long as the child needs this reinforcement.

- Sensory toys and materials for messy play (e.g. trays with sand/ cornflour and water/jelly).

- The best toys are those that the child can manipulate easily to produce a result.

1. Guide your child's hands and visual attention to toys/trays of material(s) that they can touch and look at.

2. Let your child explore the toys/materials in the tray and encourage them to investigate all their properties, stimulating all of the child's senses as far as possible (colour, smell, texture).

3. You may need to draw the child's attention back to the activity if the child becomes distracted. Use your voice to regain their attention (e.g. a drawn out "ohhhh!", or an intake of breath).

- Ball / dark cloth

- Your voice - to sing simple nursery rhymes that have an element of anticipation built in such as "Round and round the haystack, like a little mouse, one step, two step and into his little house".

Food items - in small pieces - which the children like, for example banana, apple, orange, crisps;

Something uninteresting - e.g. a piece of paper;

Pictures of the food items.

1. Introduce the food items by saying and signing the word for each item;
2. Check for which items the child is interested in having: offer some of the food items for the child to take. Re-inforce the language by saying and signing (at the same time) the food items that the child takes;
3. (Initially) use a forced alternative (see right) to give the child a choice. E.g. "banana or orange", say and sign each option, and indicate the item as you do so. See the comments on the right for using forced alternatives;
4. Always respond to what you think the child has communicated (see right for developing this).
5. Wait, to give the child an opportunity to make a request spontaneously, if they don't you can continue from step 3 (offering forced alternatives).

Drum

Jack in a box

Pop-up toys

Toys which need to be squeezed or a button pushed to produce an effect

Sit in the child's sight line in a quiet room and choose an action type toy to have on your lap.

Gain the child's attention by stroking their face/clapping your hands or calling their name.

Use the toy.

Show happiness and/or surprise as you do so.

Wait to see if the child makes a move to request a repeat.

Repeat the action if the child requests.

If the child does not request a repeat do the action again as above.

After a few repeats take the child's hand and help the child activate the toy.

Gradually reduce the amount of help you give the child to activate the toy.

Can the child activate the toy independently if you show the child the toy?

Move on to a different toy and follow the procedure above.

Small edible treats (biscuits/fruit/crisps)

Transparent container with a lid.

Small toys e.g. car/squashy ball

Place cloth over Child's face

Place cloth on Child's face, wait and see if he makes any reaction, then pull it off saying 'peek-a-boo'

'Where is Child? Where is Child? Here he is! Here he is!'

To the tune of 'Frere Jaques'

Box

Bricks

Empty the bricks on the floor or table

Help child pick up a brick and place it in the box...

Remember to use simple words like 'in', 'more'...

When all the bricks are in the box say 'all in, no more!' (or something similar!)

Then help child take them out again - say 'out', 'more' etc

Commercial or home made post box, pictures or objects to post

Monkey box and plastic food

- 4-5 bricks or other items that will stack.

- Show your child the items.

- Stack them on top of each other - use words while you are stacking, this could be the number, e.g. 1, 2, 3..., or the colour, e.g. red, green yellow, or brick, more bricks.

- Use 'ready steady...' or 'i, 2, 3 knock down' while you knock the tower down.

- Rebuild the tower and carry out the sequence again.

- When your child becomes familiar with this routine see if they copy you by knocking the tower down.

Interesting small toys in a bag

Sit child and one other child on chairs in a small circle.

Make a show of bringing out the 'feelie bag' and shaking it.

Put your hand in and take out a toy.

Use it briefly and hand to the child next to you.

When this child has had a short go say 'Share with a friend' and if necessary help the child hand the toy over to a peer.

Say 'Good sharing' as the child hands over the toy.

When a toy has been seen by all offer the bag to a child to put their hand in and take out a toy for sharing

Keep going round in the circle till all the toys have been seen

Small food items e.g. crisps, cut up fruit, biscuits

• Small pieces of desired food
• Small pieces of less desired food

1. Find a quiet place to work and sit opposite the child.
2. Get the child's attention by calling their name or stroking a cheek or clapping your hands.
3. Present pairs of food items the child must choose from (one desired and one less desired item).
4. Put them on a small tray and place the items as far apart as possible.
5. At first give choices between favoured and hated food items e.g. crisps and raw onion!
6. Draw the child's attention to both the options. You may need to take the child's hand and reach their hand in the direction of the options. Say "Look ... ... crisps ... ... onion. Choose".

Small pieces of 2 different desired foods.

• One desired toy
• One undesired toy.

Two desired toys

Blow some bubbles to get the child's attention / Blow a balloon up and then let the air out to make a noise.

Get ready to do the activity again, but wait for the child to indicate that they want some more.

Bricks or stacking beakers.

Small bucket

Sand in a sand pit

Spade

Small animal to hide at the bottom of the bucket.

Several containers

Large amount of bottle tops (or other similar material)

• water tray or washing up bowl;
• containers of various sizes;
• sponges;
• apron(s).

1. Try actions that the child might enjoy, for example squeezing out the sponge, pouring water over their hands, flicking a little bit of water towards the child;

2. Stop and wait;

3. Look for any sign that the child might want the action repeated, this could be looking, smiling, a slight movement. For some children the only indication they might make is not moving their hands away;

4. Repeat the activity.

Hand held battery operated fan.

One or materials with different textures, for example:

• rough and smooth textures;
• shaving foam;
• play dough (you can make your own play dough very cheaply - see https://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Affordable-Play-Dough/)
  

Musical instruments, for example:

• percussion instruments,
• battery operated musical toys.

Any toys which have a quick response, e.g. a jack in a box.

- A piece of material - this could be a blanket, a muslin, a cloth, a scarf.

1. Sit down with your child.
2. Call your child's name to encourage them to look at you.
3. Hold up the cloth between yourself and your child so that you cannot see each other's faces. Make a noise to help your child anticipate what will happen, e.g. "ooooo".
4. Pull the cloth down and say "boo" maintaining eye contact with your child.
5. Wait for a response, e.g. your child smiling and then say "more" and repeat the activity.