Teach Me Language

1
Teach Me Language

• A program for children with autism, Aspergers
  Syndrome and related developmental disorders

2
Chapter 1

• Introduction

3
Introduction

• Tells whether the child will benefit from the
  program
• Answers commonly asked questions about the level
  the child must be to benefit
• Tells how the teacher/therapist should use the
  activities and drills

4
Fundamentals
5
Purpose

• Provides specific language activities that gives
  hands-on, explicit instructions for working with
  children with autism, Aspergers syndrome, and
  other related pervasive development disorders
• It provides exercises and drills which attack
  language weaknesses common to these children

6
Conditions for the program to be useful

• Child must be a visual learner
• Child must be table ready and relatively
  compliant which means child must be attentive and
  able to follow simple directions
• Child must be able to communicate in some way.
  If child is nonverbal, program can be effective
  if child uses a picture communication system,
  computer, and/ or sign language

7
Child Led versus Therapist Led Therapy

• Exercises are most effective if child understands
  that the teacher/therapist is in charge and sets
  the agenda
• Teacher/therapist needs to ensure that the daily
  schedule is completed
• Schedule is generally a written schedule that
  contains a list of activities that are checked
  off upon completion

8
Understanding How to Do the Exercises

• The program exercises are written in a casual,
  conversational style so that even a
  nonprofessional can follow the technique.
• Every exercise is accompanied with instructions
  as well as why the exercise is important for the
  child
• Important to remember that the exercises are not
  self explanatory for the child

9
Repetition

• Each exercise is designed to be used over and
  over again using different examples
• Teacher/therapist must encourage the use of many
  different correct answers

10
Teaching Language Using a Childs Strengths

• Children with PDD do not learn well through the
  auditory channel
• This program teaches language using their visual
  abilities
• However, it will not work well for a child whose
  visual channel is weaker than the oral channel

11
Prompting and Fading

• Initial introduction of drill will entail
  prompting of correct answer/s
• As child becomes competent with drill, prompts
  will be faded
• When to give and fade prompts will be clear in
  the exercises

12
Commonly Asked Questions
13
At What Level Does My Child Have to Be?

• Child should already have a small receptive
  and/or expressive vocabulary
• Major advantage if the child knows how to read or
  decode letters
• Child should be able to answer questions with at
  least one word response
• Child should already know how to identify objects
  in a picture book

14
Level

• Child should be able to read or comprehend simple
  sentence patterns of noun-verb and
  noun-verb-prepositional phrases
• Teach Me Language is designed to take the child
  from one and two word sentences to more complex
  sentences and lay the foundation for conversation

15
Should I Teach My Child to Read?

• Should be a top priority
• It is developmentally appropriate for these
  children to learn to read if reading is used as a
  language therapy aide and the child seems ready
• Reading is a significant benefit because it is a
  valuable prompt for speaking

16
How Do I Get My Child to be Table Ready?

• Child must be trained to sit willingly at a table
  and work on language skills - behavioral programs
  are recommended to bring the child to this point
• Lovaas and Lovaas type trainings provide good
  table skills and building blocks to assimilate
  information taught to them visually
• If child is not table ready - the use of this
  program is premature and will not help

17
Will This Help My Child Be Mainstreamed?

• This program provides language exercises to
  facilitate mainstreaming with an emphasis on the
  childs visual competence
• Much of the school day is made up of spoken
  language and instructions - this program teaches
  the child to rely on written instructions/visual
  prompts

18
Why Does a Language Book Emphasize General
Knowledge?

• These children often lack the ability to discern
  the main idea from many details
• Therefore low level general knowledge must be
  taught since this is the basis upon which
  children learn higher level information
• This program provides a structured way to gain
  this general knowledge

19
What If My Child Knows Much of the Information
Being Taught?

• Using the structure that is laid out in the drill
  will enable the teacher/therapist to add
  components to each drill and bring the drill up
  to the childs level.
• Important that the child learn the structure of
  the drill so that higher level information can be
  taught using the same structure.

20
What Does Auditory Processing Have to Do With
Hearing?

• Excellent hearing does not preclude an auditory
  processing problem
• Information presented orally is more difficult
  for these children
• Many of the ideas in this program rely on the
  childs visual strength which is slowly faded out
  so that the child comes to rely on auditory
  processing

21
How Often Do We Do These Drills?

• For quick progress - at least once a day
• Certain drills must be done several times a day

22
What Does This Method Achieve?

• Designed to improve communication through visual
  channel
• Teaches child to use visual cues such as pictures
  or words as prompts
• Basic premise - language gives the child tools to
  understand, internalize, and recall basic
  information

23
Should I Read this Book from Cover to Cover

• No
• Go first to Chapter 7 and review suggested
  schedule of activities to start out with
• Pages relevant to the particular drill should be
  read and materials assembled if necessary
• Skim each chapter and read drills that are at
  childs level and address the childs deficits

24
Why Are Exercise Sheets Already Completed with
Examples?

• For understanding purposes - book includes actual
  facsimiles of the drill sheets
• Separate book - The Companion Exercise Forms
  contains blank exercise sheets

25
Can I Use the Scripts and Cards Straight Out
of the Book

• No- scripts need to be presented in a much larger
  format that is possible to put in the book - need
  to be enlarged
• Cards can be photocopied straight out of the book
  and used
• Card stock or laminating paper is a good idea
  since cards will be heavily used

26
Chapter 7

• Therapy Schedules

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Therapy Schedules

• Presents several therapy schedules
• Gives an idea of how to set up a daily schedule
• Specifies the type of exercises to do depending
  upon the childs level

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Setting Up A Therapy Schedule

• Start with the Easiest Drills
• Customize to the Individual Child
• Drills Given Are Simply an Arsenal
• Ideal - 2 hrs/day on language activities
• Remember these are just guidelines since every
  child differs in level of ability and amount of
  time that s/he can sit and do the activities.

29
Therapy Schedule Forms - Simplified Schedule for
the Child

• Child sees what is on the agenda
• Child knows that order to receive the reward at
  the bottom of the page, must complete the
  schedule
• Treat at the bottom is something that the child
  chooses so that the child is motivated

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Therapy Schedule Forms - Independent Work
Instrument

• Designed to teach child to work independently
• Drills that the child has mastered and can DO
  ALONE

31
Therapy Schedule Forms - Weekly Drill/Activity
Record

• Designed to monitor how often various activities
  are being done

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Chapter 2

• Social Language

33
Social Language

• Provides activities to improve social language
• Emphasis is to improve childs ability to speak
  about a single topic as well as to converse with
  peers
• Drill sheets that teach appropriate social
  questions and answers and teach emotions

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What Do We Mean By Social Language

• References daily banter that goes on between
  children to facilitate social interaction
• Each drill is designed to attack the problem of
  spontaneous speech from a different angle
• Helps to develop critical thinking skills

35
How To Teach Simple Word Associations

• Prerequisite - child must be able to match things
  that go together (ex. shoe/sock)
• Exercise
• 1. Write down a word pair and ask the
  child why the two words go together
• 2. Have child give a word that relates to
  the one word that the therapist suggests

36
Why Teach Simple Word Associations

• Purpose
• 1. To get the child to see and verbalize the
  relationship between words
• 2. Develop the ability to answer Why
  questions
• 3. Understand the concept of Why-Because

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How To Teach Contingent Words

• Therapist says a word and writes it down
• Child must say a word that is remotely related
• Therapist makes a word association based on the
  childs word
• Child makes a word association based on the
  therapists word

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Why Teach Contingent Words

• Structures a conversation of sorts
• Child is able to share thoughts without putting
  them into a sentence
• Turn taking
• Gives therapist chance to survey childs
  knowledge without being bogged down with
  grammatical structure
• Reveals gaps of general knowledge
  

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How To Teach Analogy Building

• Begin by slowly describing the completed sheet
• Go through the entire sheet, pointing out groups
  of two words that relate to each other
• Once the sheet is completed, then give the child
  a new activity sheet and have the child create
  the two word relationships
• If child has difficulty - heavily prompt until
  the drill is understood by the child

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Why Teach Analogy Building

• Develops the childs critical thinking skills as
  well as an understanding of the relationship
  between different parts of language
• Teaches creation of full sentences because child
  is required to answer in a full sentence to
  describe the relationship of the two concepts

41
How To Teach Pretend Play

• Teacher/therapist selects several different,
  unrelated,non-play objects
• Hold up object and ask child what can we use this
  for -
• Then ask what can we pretend it is and how would
  we use it

42
Why Teach Pretend Play

• Purpose is to have child realize that things can
  be used for functions other than originally
  intended
• This will improve ability to problem solve,
  imagine, and create
• An attempt to work on process of generalizing and
  abstracting

43
How To Teach Topical Conversation

• Sheet 1
• This exercise teaches basic structure of a
  conversation
• Child must describe a topic and answer questions
  about the topic
• Make sure the topic chosen is one that the child
  knows something about

44
Topical Conversation

• Sheet 2
• Similar to sheet 1 exercise
• Difference is child must elaborate on
  descriptions by adding adjectives or descriptive
  words
• Once again,make sure the topic chosen is one that
  the child knows something about

45
Why Teach Topical Conversation?

• To develop ability to talk on a topic for an
  extended period of time
• Improves conversational flow and improves ability
  to follow and participate in conversation
• Helps prepare the child to give information on a
  topic at school

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How To Maintain Conversation Skills

• Drill teaches how to start and maintain a
  conversation
• Conversation is very structured at first
• Student is then encouraged to gradually leave
  structured template

47
Areas of Emphasis for Maintaining Conversation
Skills

• Rules for Talking with Friends Script
• Movie Conversation
• Conversation Record

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How To Teach Finding Out About Someone

• There are 4 drills sheets for this activity
  designed to provide necessary tools to find out
  about another person
• Sheet 1 - Includes basic questions - once
  mastered move to Sheet 2
• Sheet 2 - More advanced questions than sheet 1 -
  once mastered move to Sheet 3

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How To Teach Finding Out About Someone

• Sheet 3- More advanced questions than sheet 2 -
  once mastered move to Sheet 4
• Sheet 4 -Questions that the child cares about
• Use one -word cue cards
• Eventually all sheets and cue card should be
  faded out and child should be able to ask
  questions from memory

50
Why Teach Finding Out About Someone

• These children do not usually have the language
  to ask appropriate questions
• These drills should help the child internalize
  questions so that they can have the tools to be
  social in a verbal manner
• These drills also show the child listening to a
  response by the conversant is necessary because
  conversations can change course based on the
  response of the other person

51
How To Teach Verbal Reciprocal Comments

• Therapist begins by making a statement like I
  like to eat pizza - then Child is prompted to
  say I like to eat____
• Therapist makes another statement - I like to go
  to the zoo - the Child is prompted to say I
  like to go to___
• Continue until child clearly understands pattern
  and can come up with correct matching comment

52
Why Teach Verbal Reciprocal Comments

• Practicing reciprocity in drill form will enable
  the child to become accustomed to asking,
  answering, and commenting
• These are necessary tools for social conversation

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How To Teach Joint Attention

• Drill can be done anytime anywhere
• Child is encouraged to show something that s/he
  cares about
• Therapist/Parent makes comments about whatever
  the child shows interest in
• Then it is the childs turn

54
Why Teach Joint Attention

• To develop the childs ability to share interests
  with another person
• Goal is to get have the child internalize the
  process of getting people to notice things the
  s/he cares about so the skill becomes part of the
  childs social repertoire

55
How To Teach Contingent Statements

• This drill is an attempt to teach conversational
  speech
• Introductory Step - use Making Comments and
  Asking Questions sheet
• Step One - use visual prompts first (computer or
  paper)
• Therapist makes a comment and then child makes a
  comment, etc.
• Child makes a comment and the therapist makes a
  comment, etc

56
How To Teach Contingent Statements

• Step Two
• Therapist makes a comment and child makes a
  related comment
• Child must then ask a question related to the
  topic
• Step Three
• Therapist makes a comment and child must ask a
  question
• Therapist answers
• Child must ask another question related to the
  therapists answer

57
How To Teach Contingent Statements

• Step Four
• Therapist asks the child a question
• Child answers and makes a comment to the answer
• Therapist then asks a question related to the
  comment and the child answers
• Step Five- Most difficult/most similar to an
  actual conversation
• Child asks a question and the therapist responds
• Child makes a comment related to the therapists
  response and asks another question related to the
  topic

58
Why Teach Contingent Statements

• Foundation of all conversation
• Helps work on spontaneous speech
• Precursor to elaborative statements

59
How To Teach Conversation

• Begin by having student come up with a variety of
  questions about a chosen topic
• Therapist chooses topic at first- then child
  chooses topic
• Once all questions are written about the topic by
  the therapist - then the child answers them as
  therapist records answers

60
How To Teach Conversation

• Entire conversation is then rehearsed using the
  sheet
• Finally, sheet is removed and actual conversation
  occurs
• Important to make sure that comments and
  questions relate to each other

61
Why Teach Conversation this Way?

• Another way to teach structure of a conversation
• Will show student that conversation if composed
  of related questions and comments
• Helps some students by seeing the conversation in
  its entire state

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Different Areas of Emphasis

• Topical Questions/Comments for Conversation
• Conversational Self-Monitoring
• Having A Conversation
• Conversation Equations
• Conversation Games

63
How To Teach Emotions

• Start with four basic emotions - happy, sad, mad
  and scared
• Customize each script to the child - crucial that
  the script be relevant to the child in order for
  the child to be helped

64
Why Teach Emotions

• To attempt to give these students the skills to
  identify and label their feelings and express
  these feelings in a manner that is socially
  acceptable
• These drills attempt to structure the behavior
  problems that cause the child trouble

65
Emotion Sheets

• Determining A Cause
• Identifying Situations Emotions/Consequences
• Problems, Peoples Reactions and Solutions

66
How To Teach Critical Thinking

• Read lines from the script with the child wit
  emphasis on key words
• Read key statements again leaving out key words
  for the child to fill in
• Ask questions about the script allowing the child
  to have full view of the script
• Remove the script and ask child questions

67
Critical ThinkingArea Drills

• Safe and Dangerous
• Safe Dangerous Equation
• Problems and Solutions
• Problem- Solutions Equations
• Deciding Who to Listen To

68
Why Teach Critical Thinking

• Children with PDD do not necessarily have the
  refinement of reasoning in many situations where
  critical thinking is crucial
• Needed to understand safety issues

69
How To Teach Advanced Problem/Solutions

• Therapist should read problem to student
• Student replies by reading from the
  Problem/Solutions sheet
• Once student understands the drill, therapist
  should write the question down and read it back
  to student
• Student should answer without reading sheet

70
How To Teach Advanced Problem/Solutions

• Eventually, therapist should ask student verbally
  and student should answer
• Student needs to understand problem and its
  consequences
• Customize all drills to the student

71
Advanced Problem/Solutions Drills

• Problem/Solutions
• Problems Situations
• Identifying Trouble and Generating Solutions
• Being Made Fun Of
• Being Made Fun of Equation
• Identifying If Someone is Being Made Fun Of

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Advanced Problem/Solutions Drills

• Identifying If Something Said is Nice or Mean
• What To Do When Someone Hurts Me

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Why Teach Advanced Problem/Solutions

• To prepare the student as much as possible for
  socially unfortunate situations in order for them
  to better understand the unwritten rules of
  interpersonal relations

74
How To Teach Daily Language Requirements

• Read the script alternating lines with
  student/therapist
• Learn sequence of script
• Act out script
• Carry over into daily living environment

75
Daily Language Requirements Drills

• Ordering My Food
• Answering the Telephone

76
Why Teach Daily Language Requirements

• Basically, so that the student can be independent
• In every situation where the student is required
  to look after their own interest, a customized
  script should be written and taught

77
How To Teach Fact or Opinion

• Therapist describes difference between fact and
  opinion
• Use opinion phrases provided in the program to
  have a conversation with the child
• Next introduce multiple opinion sheet
• Then use Opinions and Supporting Reasons Food,
  Opinions and Supporting Reasons Movies

78
How To Teach Fact or Opinion

• Then use The Fact or Opinion Sheet
• When doing these drills, it is important to
  emphasize that these are all opinions

79
Why Teach Fact or Opinion

• So child can critically evaluate information when
  it is presented
• Much of conversation is about exchanging opinions
• Child needs to know that an opinion does not have
  to be acted upon or agreed with in order to be
  exchanged

80
Chapter 3

• General Knowledge

81
General Knowledge

• Increasing General Knowledge
• Introducing and Maintaining Information
• Topic One Animals
• Scripts, Exercises and Samples
• Topics two, three and four cover
  Occupations/Community Helpers, Places in the
  Community and Sports

82
General Knowledge

• Creating Information Paragraphs
• Comparisons
• Exercises
• Concluding Remarks
• How to Make This Relevant to Life
• Whats Next in Terms of General Information

83
General Knowledge

• Introduce first two topics child should learn
• Animals
• Occupations
• Activities are introduced
• Explanation
• Rationale for each drill

84
General Knowledge

• Drills adapted to variety of subjects
• Once student learns structure of each exercise,
  the exercises will help organize new material
• Drills can be adapted to any subject

85
General Knowledge

• Therapist/SLP should
• Become familiarized w/drills
• Read all information including examples
• Expand upon topics w/ videotapes, book and
  computer games

86
Why Increase General Knowledge?

• Most children with autism spectrum disorders are
  visual learners
• Using the visual channel gives them an
  opportunity to absorb information missed
  auditorily
• Gives a structure to organize information
• General knowledge is foundation for learning
  other information

87
Introducing Information

• Therapist should sit w/student _at_ table or on
  floor
• Read paragraph slowly - Student follows along or
  reads
• Therapist/student should read it again
• Alternate reading
• Stop at critical information

88
Introducing Information

• Therapist should then ask questions regarding
  paragraph
• Visually prompt student w/answers by showing
  place in text where answer lies
• Example Lions are big cats.
• Question What are lions?

89
Introducing Information

• Idea is
• Teach the student that information can be
  obtained by reading
• Answers can be found in text
• Important principle since it teaches student to
  comprehend text rather than simply decode words

90
Introducing Information

• Once the student has mastered this skill, the
  therapist should then
• Read paragraph to student
• Take paragraph away
• Ask questions without prompting
• Note this all depends on the age and reading
  ability of the student

91
Introducing Information

• Ultimate Goal
• For student to eventually process information
  auditorily since the therapist has given the
  structure of what is being presented
• Note Although high level information is better
  presented visually (through the student reading),
  it is important to work on auditory as most
  instruction is given orally (especially in
  classroom)

92
Introducing Information

• Advanced use of activity is to teach note taking
• Once student is 8yrs. or older, therapist may
• Read paragraph w/student
• Read paragraph again slowly and w/emphasis
• Require student to write notes while therapist
  reads
• Eventually, therapist will read and student will
  take notes without the student reading through
  the first time
• At this point, student is relying completely on
  auditory information

93
Introducing Information

• Once student is good at reading paragraphs and
  answering questions, easy note taking should be
  taught (This will be addressed in Chapter 6)
• New Vocabulary
• When student encounters new vocabulary, it is
  important to teach meaning of word
• Teach new vocabulary through visually presenting
  example (This will be addressed in Chapter 6)

94
Maintaining Information

• Four activities for retaining information
• Verb Grid
• Oral Definitions
• Topical Outline
• Fill in the Blanks

95
Maintaining Information

• Information attained should be tied into other
  subjects
• Example
• Student learns about animals
• Animals tied into various continents/habitats
• General knowledge about geography connected to
  knowledge base student has - animals

96
Topic One Animals

• Why Teach About Animals?
• All normally developing children learn about
  animals
• Children are required to have basis knowledge
  about animals throughout life
• Animals are relatively concrete and interesting
• Animals are all around us and make relevant
  material to base language drills on

97
Topic One Animals

• Create Animal Scripts (Examples in Manual)
• Critical Information for easy paragraphs
• What is a ________?
• Where does a ________ live?
• What does a ________ have that is special to that
  animal?
• What does a ________ eat?

98
Topic One Animals

• Animal Drills Do In Order
• Outline For Topical Information
• Fill-In-The-Blanks
• Oral Definitions
• Grid Fill-In
• True or False
• Venn Diagram Comparisons
• A Variety of Advanced Comparisons

99
How To Introduce Topical Outlines

• Easy
• Therapist reads paragraph
• Therapist has outline written out in full
  sentences
• Therapist has student read about paragraph from
  outline
• Student reads the whole sentence

100
How To Introduce Topical Outlines

• Medium
• Once student understands that outline relates to
  paragraph, therapist reads paragraph and has
  outline in point form
• Student uses point outline to tell therapist
  about paragraph
• Student uses full sentences even though they rely
  on one word to create entire sentences

101
How To Introduce Topical Outlines

• Difficult
• Using topical outline sheet, student reads
  paragraph and dictates what should be on outline
• Therapist writes down what student says, using
  one key word per line
• Review outline with student
• Student gives full sentences from point notes
  student has dictated

102
How To Introduce Topical Outlines

• Difficult
• Once student has named four characteristics,
  therapist takes outline away and asks the student
  the same, exact questions
• Student must now rely on auditory channel and
  memory
• Eventually the student should be able to
  auditorially process information and not require
  outline sheet for recall. (This is goal of this
  drill)

103
How To Introduce Topical Outlines

• Once student has gone over Topical Outline,
  introduce Simple Child-Generated Outline
• Student completes this by himself
• Once student can complete the Child Generated
  outline easily, the Outline with Elaborative
  Statements should be introduced
• Eventually, student should be able to complete
  the Multi-Paragraph Outline orally

104
How To Introduce Topical Outlines

• With a verbal student, always do verbal exercises
  with/without outline
• After student can talk about paragraph w/visual
  prompt, it is important to always do the exercise
  using students auditory channel
• You do not want the student to be dependent upon
  the outline

105
Why Teach Topical Outlines ?

• Clarify structure of paragraph for student
• Used as crutch for students who have difficulty
  making complete sentences
• Using outlines to prompt speech gets student used
  to talking
• Goal Student will take other paragraphs
  organize them in a way that is easy to understand
  and memorize

106
How to Introduce Fill-In-The-Blanks

• After reading paragraph and completing topical
  outline, therapist introduces Fill In The Blanks
• Read the sentences and stop at blanks
• Student is prompted to fill in the blank
• Generally, student remembers the paragraph,
  therefore, the Fill In The Blanks structure
  should resemble paragraph

107
Fill-In-The-Blanks

• This exercise is used to focus the students
  attention on what is important in the paragraph
• Can be customized to target the students
  weaknesses
• Helps maintain the information learned

108
Why Teach Fill-In-The-Blanks ?

• One way to see how much student is remembering
• Information is easier to remember when student
  visualizes part of the answer
• Student learns that he must listen in order to be
  successful
• Teaches structure of Fill in the Blank exercises

109
How to Introduce Oral/Written Definitions

• This is designed to maintain information
• Gives student opportunity to provide information
  of his choosing
• Definition should include important pieces of
  information
• As paragraphs become more difficult, definitions
  should become more complex

110
Why Teach Definitions?

• Because understanding the meaning of words is key
  to students learning about their world
• It is a building block for asking questions about
  the world
• Method by which students find out about the world

111
How to Introduce Animal Grid Fill In

• Choose three animals to work with
• Student should be able to generate information on
  each animal because
• Information has been presented before
• Information is requested in a structure and
  specific form
• After information is placed in grid, student
  describes animals in complete sentences

112
Why Do This Drill?

• Grid give student simple way to organize
  information
• Student learns to know what is important to
  observe
• Given this portable structure, the student is
  afforded greater educational independence

113
How to do the True or False Drill

• Student should be able to answer yes/no questions
• Pair the words yes/no with true/false
• Initially, therapist allows student to see the
  statements
• Eventually, statements are presented verbally and
  student relies on listening

114
True or False Drills

• Can and should be used with any new information
  presented to student
• A way to check on students comprehension of any
  concept
• This drill is NOT designed to teach facts it is
  designed to teach the concept of true/false and
  test information already learned

115
Why Teach True and False?

• The student is being taught to critically
  evaluate information
• This is a foundation upon which to build critical
  thinking skills

116
Concluding Remarks About General Knowledge

• Every student has topics that are relevant to his
  life
• This is a method by which to teach relevant
  information
• Flexibility is important, but if you can find
  structure for a topic, the student can learn
  about that topic

117
Whats Next In Terms of General Information

• After student has completed all drills presented
  in this chapter, progress to off the shelf
  materials
• Use these off the shelf materials in
  conjunction with the same drills the student has
  learned
• This may take years

118
Chapter 4

• Grammar Syntax

119
Grammar Syntax

• Introduction to Grammar Syntax
• Pronouns
• Pronoun Classification
• Exercises
• Pronoun Referents
• Exercises
• Verbs
• Verb Game and Cards
• Talking about Verbs
• Examples

120
Grammar Syntax

• Nouns
• Noun Game and Cards
• WH Questions
• Personal Information
• Question Script
• Where Questions
• Why Questions
• When Questions
• Assorted Topical Questions
• Social Questions
• WH Game and Cards

121
Grammar Syntax

• Super Sentences
• Exercises
• Phrase Identification
• Exercises
• Parts of Language
• Examples

122
Grammar Syntax

• Purpose is to focus on parts of language student
  has trouble with
• Minimize or eliminate problem through
  presentation of drills
• Not designed to teach English grammar

123
Grammar Syntax

• First drills work on PRONOUNS
• Should be performed many times until student
  understands concept
• Initially, student answers should be heavily
  prompted
• Afterwards, student should do sheets on their own

124
Grammar Syntax

• Also included are exercises to work on nouns and
  verbs
• Chapter also focuses on WH questions
• There are also three exercises which work on
  grammar and syntax
• Super Sentences
• Phrase Identification
• Paragraph

125
Why Teach Grammar Syntax This Way ?

• Techniques similar to teaching English as second
  language
• Easier for students with language difficulties to
  learn as if it were a second language
• Makes rules and structure of language explicit

126
Pronoun Classification

• Before student can classify pronouns, he should
  be able to categorize people, places, animals and
  things
• Begin this activity by differentiating between HE
  and SHE pronouns only
• Therapist lists 4-5 male and 4-5 female nouns and
  pronouns including proper names

127
Pronoun Classification

• Work each people word with the student
• Example
• Boy. A boy is a he.
• Therapist directs the student to write boy
  under HE column
• Example Proper name Billy
• Billy. Billy is a boy. A boy is a HE. So Billy
  is a HE.
• Lead student through the reasoning process

128
Pronoun Classification

• After classifying each word. Student should use
  the words and corresponding word in a contingent
  sentence pair
• Example
• The boy ran to school. He was late.
• Allows therapist to determine if student
  understands how the two words relate
• Therapist should model this the first time

129
Pronoun Classification

• Gradually introduce singular form of places,
  animals and things to the pronoun IT
• Mix with HE and SHE
• Expand to WE, THEY, HIM, HER, US, YOU, and THEM

130
Why Teach Pronoun Classification?

• For the student to understand what is read and
  not simply decode words and sentences, and to
  fully understand speech, it is important that the
  student understands the relationship between
  nouns and pronouns since they are used heavily
  even in the lowest level of speech.

131
Why Teach Pronoun Classification?

• Proper use of pronouns must be taught formally
• Simple pronoun use- teaching the difference
  between I and You
• Once the student understands the relationship
  between pronouns and nouns, then introduce them
  in sentences

132
Pronoun Referents

• Student should be able to classify familiar
  people, places, animals and things into
  categories of I, You, He, She or It and We, You,
  and They
• Student should be able to classify familiar
  people, places, animals and things into
  categories of Me, You, Him, Her, It and Us, You,
  and Them

133
Pronoun Referents

• Therapist begins with simple contingent sentences
• Example
• The boy went to the park. He played in the sand.
  (Student circles word in previous sentence to
  which the pronoun refers)

134
Pronoun Referents

• Work through verbally with student
• Gradually, add two subjects/two pronouns
• Expand subjects from just people, to people,
  places and things
• Increase the number of sentences to be analyzed
  to an entire short story

135
Why Teach Pronoun Referents In This Way ?

• Language delayed students often have difficulty
  understanding the relevance of pronouns in
  language
• Many language delayed students reverse their
  pronouns
• Concentration on pronouns will enhance
  understanding o pronouns in language
• If student doesnt understand pronouns, it is
  difficult to understand what is read

136
Verb Game

• Therapist chooses card
• Example
• _______ the ball
• Therapist Kick the ball
• Student Throw the ball
• Take turns back and forth, at least four turns
  per card

137
Verb Game

• Eventually, student will memorize various verbs
  that go with the nouns
• If student does not know a verb, therapist should
  explain
• Be creative after typical responses are
  provided
• Stand on the ball, sit on the ball, hide the ball

138
Verb Game

• Purpose is to encourage student to be creative in
  verb choices
• The more people who play the game, the more the
  student will be exposed to verbs
• Once student has learned the 24 cards and all the
  possible verb choices, the therapist can create
  more (Must be age appropriate and relevant)

139
Whats the Purpose of the Verb Game ?

• To increase the number of verbs a student uses
  with familiar nouns
• Intended for the student who has difficulty
  accessing verbs during story telling and
  conversation

140
Verbs

• Verb List
• Presented on chalkboard or large sheet of paper
• Discuss topic that relates to verbs
• Take turns making action statements
• Example
• I like to swim at the beach.
• (Eventually, fade the verb list)

141
Why Teach Verbs This Way ?

• This is another example of visual prompt
• By giving a list of verbs, dialogue will be
  easier
• Student will be able to memorize verbs that fit
  into particular settings, making it easier to
  verbalize when not working with the therapist

142
Noun Game

• Similar to verb game only with nouns
• Example
• Eat _______
• Eat the hamburger. Eat the pizza. Eat the
  ice-cream.

143
Whats the Purpose of the Noun Game ?

• To increase the number of nouns a student uses
  with familiar verbs
• Intended for a student who has difficulty
  accessing and varying nouns during story telling
  or conversation

144
WH Questions

• Student must know how to visually recognize WHAT,
  WHO, and WHERE in books
• Example
• Therapist points to dog in book and asks What
  is it? Student can answer, Dog.

145
WH Questions

• Therapist starts with Personal Information
  Questions
• Next activity is a Question Script designed to
  teach types of answers WH questions require
• Lists of WH Questions - Where, Why, When
• Mixed Questions

146
Why Teach WH Questions This Way ?

• Order of difficulty (from easiest to hardest) is
  What, Who, Where, When, Why, How
• Best to concentrate on students particular
  weakness than following order
• Every time student completes a general
  information module, WH questions should be
  utilized

147
WH Question Game

• Therapist creates the spinner and chooses topic
  student knows a lot about and enjoys
• Example
• The zoo
• Spin - Where is the zoo?
• Spin - What would you see at the zoo?
• Spin until subject is exhausted

148
Why Teach WH Questions This Way ?

• Designed to promote students use of mixed
  questions
• Student must use a variety of questions
• Most children w/language delays do not ask many
  different questions
• Student will learn to generalize question types
  from game to unstructured situations

149
Super Sentences

• Begin with PRESENT tense, then PAST, then FUTURE
  (Do not teach all at once)
• Therapist models super sentence
• Involve student by asking questions about the
  subject
• Use Building a Sentence Boxes

150
Why Teach Using Super Sentences ?

• Idea is to show student the structure of a
  sentence
• Helps student
• Understand the meaning of the sentence
• Answer questions
• Know appropriate order of components that
  comprise sentence

151
Phrase Identification

• Great activity to follow Super Sentences
• Super Sentences teaches student to compose
  sentences using phrases
• Identifying Phrases shows the student what he has
  done

152
Phrase Identification

• Introduce drill by asking what the phrase is
  about
• Example
• Does the kids answer a Where, When, Did What,
  or Who question
• Student should be able to mark the correct cell
  on the sheet
• Prompt, then fade out prompt

153
Phrase Identification

• Eventually, student should be able to do drill
  without therapist
• Once student can do drill easily, therapist
  should do same drill orally
• Therapist should ask student without visual
  prompt which question the phrase answers
• Drill works on students auditory comprehension
• Very difficult stage. All students will not be
  able to complete this level.

154
Why Teach Phrase Identification?

• Helps teach the structure of language
• Since students w/developmental disorders need to
  understand pattern or structure, it is important
  to work on their understanding of the structure
  of any concept
• Important to understand the concept that phrases
  (not just words) convey information

155
Parts of Language

• Student reads a paragraph and identifies the part
  of each sentence that he has problems with
• Example
• Student has difficulty finding verbs
• Role of therapist is to identify the students
  weaknesses and introduce appropriate drills

156
Parts of Language

• No point in doing drills in areas that are not
  problematic
• Any paragraph can be used when doing this drill
• Keep in mind, students reading ability- make
  sure paragraph is easy to read
• Best paragraphs are those that are of interest to
  the student

157
Parts of Language

• This is advanced exercise and should not be used
  until student is proficient in all the easier
  drills in the grammar and syntax chapter

158
Why Teach Parts of Language This Way ?

• By teaching grammar and syntax through usage, the
  student develops a better understanding,
  awareness and knowledge of different word forms
• Idea is to go over the patterns
• By making examples relevant, the student has
  better opportunity to figure out structure of
  language

159
Chapter 5

• Advanced Language
• Development

160
Language Skills children need throughout
their school years
161
Story Writing

• Easy
• Intermediate
• Difficult
• Advanced

162
Teaching Story Writing

• The instructor should
• First select and write subject/title of a story
  on title line.
• The first story line is self explanatory.
  Include an agent,place or action.
• For the second story line, supply HER or HIS
  before name and prompt the student to come up
  with a name.
• Use past tense writing
• Supply verbs for next sentences(First, Next, Last
  and have student finish each line.

163
Consider

• After the student generates the story, have
  student read story aloud and ask student simple
  comprehension questions
• Eventually take form away, have student retell in
  sequence to the structure

164
Why Teach Story Writing?

• Students will be able to create a logically
  sequenced story
• Develop reading comprehension
• Facilitate his/her imagination

165
Why Teach AdvancedStory-Writing?

• Ultimately
• It will give the student freedom to communicate
  with others through their writing since oral
  communication is so difficult

166
Story Pre-Writing
Easy Difficult Advanced
167
Pre-Writing is the way
a student can prepare to write a story that is
more complex in structure. Key components are
set up and outline of a story.

168
How To Teach Story Pre-Writing

• First, the student must be able to use the
  easiest template to write stories.
• Instructor introduces as follows
• Writes title of story
• Student gives names of characters
• Student tells setting
• Student tells place
• Once the form is completed the student is
  prompted to weave this information into the
  story, the introductory paragraph

169
Why Teach Pre-Writing?

• It gives the student the structure in order to
  describe details that occur in a story.
• It helps to create a better story
• It helps the student comprehend stories others
  have written
• Most of all, it helps students learn what are the
  most important parts of a story

170
How to Write a Topic SentenceBegin with the
script

• A sentence that tells the main idea of a topic.
• Write different kinds of topic sentences
• Describes a topic
• Tells how you feel about a topic. Gives opinion
• Compares a topic with something else
• Gives information about a topic

171
Next

• The instructor gives a topic and prompts
  sentences
• The student will orally be able to create a topic
  sentence the student to write two topic
  sentences.
• The student will independently write two topic

172
Why Teach Topic Sentences?

• A topic sentence is an anchor from which to write
  a paragraph.
• It provides the structure and outline in order go
  from paragraph writing to eventually writing an
  essay and then writing a book report.

173
Paragraph Writing and Topical Conversation

• Easy Intermediate Advanced

Topic Main Idea Details
174
Why Teach Paragraph and Topical Conversations?

• The outline of this exercise allows the student
  to orally give the information which strengthens
  their ability in auditory processing skills,
  through the use of a visual prompt and increase
  expressive language skills.
• The structure allows a way for the student to
  organize their thoughts that is a standard
  practice for paragraph writing.

175
Paragraph Writing

• The script
• A Paragraph is a group of sentences that are all
  about one idea or topic
• Three main parts
• Topic sentence-main idea
• At least 3 supporting sentences-details
• A concluding sentence-summary sentence that
  retells the main idea

176
Why Teach Paragraph Writing?

• It is a foundation skill that the child needs to
  fully participate in any mainstream academic
  curriculum.
• Helps the student develop the ability to express
  themselves in nonverbal ways using the written
  word.

177
Finding the Main Idea

• First, introduce the following script
• The script should accompany a paragraph for the
  child to work on.
• Read each paragraph and answer these questions
• TopicWhat is the one subject author is talking
  about in the paragraph?
• Main Idea What is author saying about topic?
• DetailsWhat details support main idea?
• Underline TOPIC SENTENCE
• Circle DETAILS

178
Why Teach Finding the Main Idea?

• Teaching the main idea is critical for the
  students comprehension skills and ability to
  write clear and expressive ideas to others.
• It presents to the student the understanding of
  what information to focus on and what to ignore.

179
Higher Level Structured Main Idea Exercises

• Sentence Starters For Descriptive Topic
  Sentences and Detail Sentences of Support
• Two-Column Notes

180
How To Teach Letter Writing

• First, use a letter writing template that
  includes a greeting,Dear___,How are you?, and
  the ending,Love,____.
• Once the instructor has written the greeting,
  prompt the student to create one sentence about a
  topic.
• The instructor then writes,Love, and prompts
  student to write his/her name.
• In the next session, prompt student on how to
  begin I.e.Dear___.
• Continue to use the structure and have student
  say two things in the body of the letter.
• Teach toward mastery of writing a letter
  independently. Include telling about personal
  experiences and asking the letter recipient
  questions.

181
Why Teach Letter Writing?

• It is an easy skill for our ASD and other
  language delayed students to learn.
• It is an excellent way for the student to
  practice communicating in a nonpressured format.
• It provides an opportunity for the student to
  answer questions.

182
Teaching Recall of Significant Daily Events

• Prerequisite
• Understanding the concept of before and
  after(use sequence cards to teach this basic
  concept)
• Lets do an exampleusing the forms

183
Why Teach Routines of Daily Life?

• To increase understanding of time and sequencing
• Good topics to promote spontaneous language

184
Chapter 6

• Academic/Language
• Based Concepts

185
Teaching Lower Level Activities

• The therapist/SLP should first introduce
  exercises that include
• categorization of nouns, verbs, and simple
  categorization
• familiar words identifying groups and function
• object functions
• brainstorming
• Simple pre-reading comprehension(who, and did
  what)
• E X A M P L E S .

186
Why Teach Categorization?

• Develop the childs categorization skills.
• To enable the student to verbalize how and why a
  group of words are related.
• Categorization brings structure to the students
  world.

187
Why Teach Brainstorming?

• Helps the child answer a question or generate
  ideas on a topic without having to form a full
  sentence. It gives the student some ownership
  over the the thought process.
• It shows the therapist what a student knows or
  does not know.
• It allows the student a change to interact
  verbally with a peer and learn to take turns.

188
Pre-Reading ComprehensionWho List

• The therapist goes over the list until the child
  understands that WHO is a person
• Who list
• Who? the boy the girl Steven
• the man the woman Mary
• mom dad
• baby the kids
• Michael Sue

.

189
Did What List

• Did What?
• ate jumped
• cried walked
• played slept
• ran swam
• talked read
• stopped clapped

190
Why Teach Pre-Reading Comprehension?

• The student is able to focus on two very
  important parts of the sentence, the
• Who, and the What did, this important
  information in every sentence.

191
Higher Level Activities

• Reading Comprehension
• Math Word Problems
• Vocabulary
• Number Sequencing
• Calendar
• Time
• Money
• Sequencing pars of a Day
• Note-Taking
• Agents and their Actions, and Verbal Analogies
  E X A M P L E S

192
Why Teach Reading Comprehension?

• Students with ASD are often good at decoding but
  have great difficulty in comprehending what they
  read.
• Structure and sequence are two necessary
  components that need to be in place for the
  students to increase comprehension.

193
Why Teach Math Word Problems

• Students with ASD have difficulty when math
  concepts are combined with language in the form
  of word problems.
• It is important that the student learns to
  identify the parts of language which convey what
  kind of problem is being asked.

194
Why Work On Increasing Vocabulary?

• Students with ASD do not pick up vocabulary from
  the natural environment at the same rate as a
  typically developing student.
• Therefore, it is imperative that these students
  learn word meaning and definitions from the
  natural environment and from books.

195
Teach Number Sequencing

• In mathematics, sequencing is an important skill
  when using money, telling time, and understanding
  the calendar.
• Begin with number sequencingprior to introducing
  most other math skills that require sequencing.

196
Other Sequencing Concepts

• Place value
• Comparative Words
• Calendar
• Time
• Money
• Sequencing a Day

197
Examples of

• Note-taking
• Agents and Their Actions
• Verbal Analogies