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Topic “Secondary (11-16yrs)”  

Secondary school age (11-16 years)

Sequence three pictures related to hygiene

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Self Care Activities

Camera to make the picture sequences (or alternatively you can draw them or use a commercial resource).

Resources as appropriate to carry out a simple sequence

Examples of sequences:

Clean teeth: get toothpaste, open lid, get brush, squeeze toothpaste onto brush, put lid back onto toothpaste, brush teeth, spit out, put brush under water, repeat, clean brush, put brush away.

Wash hands: turn on tap, rinse hands, put soap on hands, scrub hands, rinse under water, turn tap off, dry with towel.

Brush hair: get brush, brush hair, put brush away.

Deodorant: get deodorant, take off lid, spray at appropriate area, put lid back on, put away.

1. Carry out the sequence without the pictures;

2. Do it again, showing the relevant picture for each part of the activity as you do it;

3. Get the student to do the sequence, showing them a picture for each part of the sequence as they do it;

4. Get them to show you what to do by giving you a picture for each part of the sequence. Try to do exactly as the picture you are given indicates, for example if they give you a picture of scrubbing your hands before the tap is turned on/before you have the soap, try to do this - but appear confused when this doesn't work.

At this level students may often be able to learn particular sequences of pictures without understanding that they relate to a sequence of actions, these activities are designed to address this issue.

Seeing how the sequence goes wrong if the wrong picture is chosen (in step 4) will encourage the student to work out which should have been the right picture without you needing to give any further feedback.

Think through more complex social situations

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Newspaper

Newspaper or children's paper or magazine

Large sheet of paper

Pens

Choose a page of a newspaper or children's paper, or cut out some stories from a newspaper. (You could also do this on line if you have access to a computer. It is very motivating for the children!)

Choose stories that will prompt discussion and are not simple right / wrong issues.

Put the main person in the story in a circle in the middle of a page. Draw lots of lines out of the circle, and think of different things the person could do. Have each child circle the one they think they would suggest . Help the children think about what will happen if the person takes their advice.

You're in charge!

Cards to write situations on.

Paper

Pens

Freeze frames

Short video clips from children's programmes

You could write individual or group letters to the programme makers suggesting an ending to this scene.

Alien bluff

Alien puppet or picture.

Cards to write situations on.

Everyday situations at school and home.

Use a variety of situations - in class, in whole school events, in the playground, at home, etc.

Social Sequences

LDA what's wrong social sequencing cards.

Paper or whiteboard

Pens

Use paper or a white board to keep the discussion focused.

Use facial emotions cards as visual prompts to help the children think about what people are feeling and why.

Share information about self with others

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Likes and dislikes

Optional - something to record the students responses on (e.g. paper/pen) which can later be used as a prompt;

Soft ball or beanbag.

  1. Go round each student, asking them what their favourite food is - write it down and/or do a very rough sketch of it as you go;
  2. One student has a ball, they choose another student and say the other student's name and what their favourite food is - for example "Tom - you like burgers". They then pass the ball to that student. Use the prompt card if necessary.

To make it harder, you can go around again asking for favourite drinks - so that everyone now has to remember a food and a drink for each student when they pass the ball (e.g "Tim - you like carrot cake and tea").

You could use favourite games, favourite places to go, etc. instead.

Talk about things in the recent past

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
What have you done today?

Optional - way of recording students responses - e.g. paper/pen, whiteboard/marker

  1. Go round each student in turn asking what they have done today - e.g. "what did you do this morning": ideally one or two things each.
  2. Write and/or sketch something (very roughly!!) under each student's name on the sheet of paper (you can use this as a prompt later).
  3. After all students have said something, pretend to have "forotten" what they'd said - ask individual students to remind you, for example "Karen, what did Abdul do?" - use the prompt sheet if necessary.

Variations

  • After a student has said what they did, get them to ask their neighbour what they did.
  • Get the students to ask each other in pairs and then tell the whole group what their partner did.
  • Ask students to say what they did at the weekend or what they did in the holidays.
What have you done today - with a ball

Optional - way of recording students responses - e.g. paper/pen, whiteboard/marker

Soft ball or beanbag

To make eye contact

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Gain visual attention

Use something that the person may be visually attracted by, for example:

  • Flashing light;
  • Any favoured object;
  • Hair band with a visually interesting item e.g. Christmas bands.
  1. Work in an environment that has as little visual distraction as possible.
  2. Talk to the person and attract their attention by moving around the flashing light or other object.
  3. Once the person is looking at the item establish visual tracking (move it around a little so that they can follow it with their eyes).
  4. When visual tracking is established bring the item up towards your eyes so that the person is looking towards your eyes.
  5. If the person makes eye contact then give lots of verbal encouragement by saying "hello" smiling etc.

Remember that although the room needs to have little visual distraction the light needs to be sufficient to allow clear eye contact to be made e.g. a low light sensory room may not be so good for this activity.

First next last; first last templates

First next last; first last templates

Template to use for first/next/last or first/last sequencing - with space for pictures. Example activities: sequences three pictures with first next and last.

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Phrases cards for emotions game

Phrases cards for emotions game

Phrases cards for use with the emotions game.

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Generic game track

Generic game track

A coloured track which, along with dice and counters for example, could be used to make a variety of activities into a game - for example, shake the dice, move the counter, and if you land on an orange square, pick a card and describe what is on it.

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1-6 Grid

1-6 Grid

Grid containing the numbers 1 to 6. This can be used in a number of games - for example this emotions game.

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Sources of Information, Support and Additional Resources

Sources of Information, Support and Additional Resources
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Sources of Information, Support and Additional Resources

This is a list of some sources of information, support and resources in the UK. You can edit this page, or you could create another page for organisations in your country.

Information and Support 

Use two key word instructions in everyday activities

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Making a cup of tea - telling you what to do

Kitchen with everything appropriate for making a cup of tea. You don't need to have them out and ready though - finding the stuff can be part of the activity.

1. Sit in the kitchen at an empty table and say you want to make a cup of tea - but you don't know what to do (or have forgotten what to do);

2. See if the person suggests getting something - e.g. teabag or cup.

If the person suggests something, e.g. teabag, ask where you can find it. See if they can tell you - e.g. "cupboard" - but if not, give then some suggestions - e.g. "in the cupboard or in the fridge?" - have a look in the fridge if they suggest that.

If the person doesn't suggest anything, give a funny choice, e.g. shall I get a cup or a paint brush - if they suggest "paint brush", get one and then look really confused when you have it - see if they can correct you, or if there is not paint brush to find, look equally confused. Get a cup even if they don't prompt you to get one (as if you've suddenly remembered!)

3. As you go along, try to get the person to extend the language - but don't try to get them to repeat, also try to avoid asking leading questions (for example avoid asking "shall I stir the tea now?"). For example if you have a tea bag and a cup, and they say "cup", indicating that you put something in the cup, put something else in the cup - e.g. a pen. If they then say teabag, do something with the teabag - but don't put it in the cup. At this point they may try to put the two words together, e.g. "teabag...cup". If not, you can give them a choice. Try the following:

"teabag in the cup or pen in the cup" (you might get a response of "teabag" in which case put it somewhere - not in the cup);

or

"teabag in the cup or pen in the bag"

or

"pen in the bag or teabag in the cup" (easiest because the target phrase is last).

If the person is not familiar with making a cup of tea already, you should spend some time doing this - talking them through what you are doing as you make the tea.

The key principle here is to give the minimum amount of prompting. You will need to adjust the level of prompting so that the person is a little bit challenged by the task - but not so much that there are long pauses (what constitutes a long pause will vary from person to person).

As far as possible, you are trying to literally do what the person says - so if they say something that's potentially ambiguous, choose a more amusing interpretation of what they have said. The idea is that this activity should be really fun, and also prompt the person to try and add more information and be more accurate.

Everyday activities

Whatever is required for the activity. Activities could include:

  • Cleaning;
  • Shopping;
  • Cooking;
  • Washing up;

Learn new words

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Exploring words

Written word with a picture

Written sounds for beginning/ end of each word

Visuals for the story

Dictionary (maybe)

 

Ideas you can use to help word learning - you do not need to use all of them, and some will work better than others for different children.

1. Introduce the written form of the word;

2. Say the word to the child and ask for repetition;

3. Ask the child to clap syllables on your or their hands, use prompting if necessary. Or alternatively they could tap the syllables out on pictures of drums (say four arranged in a row);

4. Ask if any other words rhyme with this new word (think of examples yourself) - you could take this in turns in a group;

5. Ask for beginning and ending sounds;

6. Tell the child a short story or anecdote, including the word as the main feature if possible - or work with the child to work a story out;

7. Give an explicit definition (school dictionary maybe - some dictionaries are more helpful than others for this!) and give context(s) preferably first one being the one used in the story as it’s familiar but make sure to offer other contexts;

8. Ask the child if they can put the word in a sentence/ tell a short story including the word;

9. If ability allows, ask the child if they know of any word which means a similar thing.

These activities help to build a child’s vocabulary with solid representations of words.

It gives a child strategies to use when learning and remembering new words.

It builds the child’s confidence on a topic, especially if taught before the relevant lesson.

Initiate a request for items to do a task

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Impossible task!

Materials as needed, for example:

  • Pictures for cutting out e.g. old Argos catalogue
  • Scissors
  • Simple board game
  • Blunt pencil
  • Pencil sharpener
  • Paper
  • Equipment for an activity the child enjoys
  • Bubbles

 

Ask the child to carry out tasks without giving them the equipment they need. For example:
  • Ask the child to cut out a picture but do not provide any scissors.
  • Attempt to play a simple board game but do not provide a dice.
  • Ask the child to write their name but have only a blunt pencil; do not provide a pencil sharpener.
  • Put the equipment you need for an activity the child enjoys somewhere the child can see it but not reach it, such as on a high shelf.
  • Produce a bottle of bubbles without the bubble wand inside.

If a child does not request anything, you can try to motivate the child to correct you or "help you", for example:

  • look confused;
  • look confused, and say "oh..." "no...scissors!";
  • give the child a ruler instead to cut the paper;

See also suggestions here: make a choice at snack time

Text mangle tool

Text mangle tool
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