Applied Behavior Analysis
Helping children with autism
 

 

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Echoic to Mand

This idea is meant to work with those children who are able to speak but for some reason don't use their words to ask for things.  For example if a child says letters and numbers while looking at a computer or repeats phrases they heard on television yet won't or can't ask you for a cookie when they want one this is for them.

Prepare a bowl with tiny cut up pieces of your child's favorite food.  If you are ok with them eating candy like M&M's this will great, provided of course that they like them.  Any item that isn't messy and that can be broken into pieces will do.

Now hold up one of the things that your child wants close enough so that if they reached out their hand they could take it from you. If your child reaches for an item say the name of the item you are holding and give it to your child.  The timing of this is very critical.  Try to say the name of the item and not hold onto it for more than 1/4 of a second as the same that your child has the object.  Also try not to say the name of object too soon.  This is equally important.  What you are trying to do is pair the name of the item your child likes with that particular item.  Specifically you want to pair the name with the act of receiving the item.  Such that they will learn themselves to say the name of the item and they will get the item.

Do this many many times.  Try to get it just right.  Not saying the name of the object too soon or too late.  If you need to have the item in the palm of your hand so they can take it from you without any resistance.  As soon as they have their hand on the object you say the name of the item. 

Ideas for items to use include small pieces of food, small pieces of playdoh so each time they take the small piece from you they have even more playdoh.   Anything that is part of set that they want to keep or use at the same time.  The idea is for them to hear a certain word 20 times in less than 5 minutes. 

Things you should not do

1.  Do not under any circumstances take the item back from the child.

2.   Do not talk or say any other words at all when you are doing this program.  Very Critical.  The only word your child should hear at this stage is the label of the item at the correct time.

3.  Do not use the word more at any point in time while doing this.  Again this is extremely important.