Communicative Temptations Ways to get children to communicate From Wetherby & Prizant
Eat a desired food item in front of the child without offering any to the child
Activate a wind-up toy, let it deactivate, and hand it to the child.
Give a child four blocks to drop in a box, one at a time (or use some other action that the child will repeat, such as stacking the blocks or dropping the blocks on the floor), then immediately give the child a small animal figure to drop in the box.
wind-up teeth moving
bubbles being blown in grass
Look through a few books with the child.
Initiate a familiar and unfamiliar social game with the child until the child expresses pleasure, then stop the game and wait.
Open a jar of bubbles; blow bubbles, then close the jar tightly. Hand the closed jar to the child.
Blow up a balloon and slowly deflate it. Hand the deflated balloon to the child or hold the deflated balloon up to your mouth and wait.
Hold a food item or toy that the child dislikes out near the child to offer it, but don’t give it.
Place a desired food item or toy in a clear container that the child cannot open while the child is watching. Put the container in front of the child and wait.
Place the child’s hand in a cold, wet, or sticky substance, such as Jell-O, pudding, or paste.
Roll a ball to the child. After the child returns the ball three times, immediately roll a rattle or a toy on wheels to the child.
blue and red jello in a cup
several multi-colored balls in a pile
light colored cat walking in grass
small pile of crayons
Wave and say “bye bye” to a toy upon removing it from the play area. Repeat this for a second and third toy, and do nothing when removing a fourth toy. These four trials should be interspersed throughout the other temptations, rather than be presented in a series.
Have an animal greet the child the first time. Repeat this for a second and third time, and do nothing when bringing out the animal for the fourth time. These four trials should also be interspersed when presented.
Put an object that makes noise in an opaque bag and shake the bag. Hold up the bag and wait.
Engage the child in an activity of interest that necessitates the use of an instrument for completion (e.g., crayon for drawing, spoon for eating, or wand for blowing bubbles). Have a third person come over and take the instrument, go sit on the distant side of the room while holding the instrument within the child’s sight and wait.