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Early Social Communication Workbook

After you have read the ‘What is Social Communication?’ sheet, you might want some more ideas

to add to your everyday activities.

These different ideas work best at different times – your Speech and Language Therapy Team will

help you work out where to start.

The first page has a quick list of questions to think about. When your Speech and Language

Therapy Team contact you, we will ask you about these questions. They will help us choose the

best strategies for you and your child.

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Contents

Quick Questions……….……………………………………………………………………Page 3

Joint Attention……………………………………………………………………………….Page 4

Games and Rhymes………………………………………………………………………..Page 5

Toys that need a grown up…………………………………………………………………Page 6

Making Choices……………………………………………………………………………..Page 7

Keeping it fun…………………………………………………………………………………Page 8

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Quick Questions

Why does your child communicate? o To get food he wants o When he doesn’t want something o To get toys he wants o To say hello/goodbye o To show you things o For other reasons

How does your child tell you he wants these things?

o Pointing o Crying o Screaming o Moving to something that he wants o Using gestures and facial expressions o Looking at things that he wants o Taking you by the hand to things o Putting your hand on things to make them work o Using sounds o Using words o Using sentences o Using other ways

Would you like your child to;

Tell you things in a different way? Communicate for more reasons? Talk to different people?

Watch your child for 10 minutes to help you answer the questions. Write any other things you want to talk to us about below;

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Joint Attention

What is ‘Joint Attention’?

It is paying attention to the same thing as your child.

Sometimes, it’s paying attention to each other.

Sometimes, it’s paying attention to the same thing/ activity.

Why is ‘joint attention’ important?

It can help children to learn words (by looking at you and the things you are looking at).

It helps you to have fun together and enjoy each other’s company. It helps build your relationship

with your child.

VIDEO LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dai13S2XbsI

Joint attention is NOT the same as eye contact.

There are lots of ways to help build joint attention.

One way to get started is to join in with your child’s play, for 5 minutes at a time.

Get down to their playing level and sit with them.

Try to play with the toys they like best.

Tell them what they’re doing (e.g. ‘bunny jumping’ or ‘car spinning’)

Don’t ask questions (these are tricky to answer!)

This is harder than it sounds! If it doesn’t work one day, try again another time.

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Games and Rhymes

Some children love to bounce, run and jump! We can use this to help their communication.

Choose some nursery rhymes (there’s some good ones here;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/curations/nursery-rhymes and even more here;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-a-to-z-index/z4ddgwx )

Stand together (away from a screen) and put some BIG actions in! When your child knows it well

and has fun… try pausing to let them keep it going.

They might… LOOK AT YOU

DO AN ACTION

SAY A WORD

All of these are a great way for them to tell you to keep singing.

e.g. Grand Old Duke of York ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4V0s7_nSDw )

The Grand Old Duke of York (march)

He had 10,000 men (march)

He marched them up to the top of the hill (hands stretched up high)

And he marched them down again (hands down to the floor)

And when they were up, they were up (hands up)

And when they were down, they were down (hands down)

And when they were neither half way up, they were neither up (jump up) or down (fall down)

When your child knows this song well; pause before the word ‘up’ – your child might just reach up

or say ‘up’ to keep you going.

Try with different songs and find the action songs that work for you.

Remember; people are the fun bit… try to move away from screens when you’re playing together.

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Toys that need a grown up

Some toys need a grown up to work them.

This is a great chance for children to bring things back to an adult for another turn.

Bubbles and balloons are two good choices.

Bubbles

Blow some bubbles

WAIT to see if your child likes them!

WAIT to see if your child tried to get more.

Hold the bubbles by your eyes. WAIT to see if your child can look at the bubbles and then at you.

If your child…

LOOKS AT YOU

DOES AN ACTION

SAY A WORD

… then blow some more bubbles!

Balloons

Blow up a balloon (do not tie it)

WAIT to see if your child looks at it or explores it. Let the balloon go down (it can whizz around

the room or just blow gently on your child’s hand depending on what they like)

WAIT to see if your child tries to get more.

Hold the deflated balloon by your eyes. WAIT to see if your child can look at the balloon and then

at you.

If your child…

LOOKS AT YOU

DOES AN ACTION

SAY A WORD

… then blow the balloon up again!

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Making Choices

Making choices can be hard for children.

Sometimes they don’t know how to use a word.

Sometimes they don’t know the right word.

Giving two choices can help:

Hold up two objects or pictures and ask what they want… start with something they like and

something they don’t like;

“ Do you want a post-it or an apple? “ (always say both items – your child might copy)

Then try two things they like:

“ Do you want rubber duck or penguin boat? “ (always say both items – your child might copy)

If they get good at that, you could try making a choice board from used food wrappers;

LOOKING

REACHING

SAYING A WORD

Are all good ways to make a choice!

Always say the item names – your child

might learn and copy one!

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Keeping it fun

This booklet has some ideas to get you started.

These ideas can work for lots of children to help them with;

Paying attention

Listening

Understanding

Making sounds and noises

Talking

But YOU know your child best! Think about the things they enjoy the most, because these will be

the most fun! And fun helps children to learn.

Fun activities

Favourite

Toys

Favourite foods

Fun times of day

Places

they like

If you want some more ideas about linking your child’s favourite things with the ideas here, talk to

your Speech and Language Therapy team and we’ll be happy to help!