Materials: None

 Introduction:

I often work with young children who do not respond when spoken to. This is a form of control and needs to be broken at an early age. Children need to know that when they are spoken to, they are expected to respond in a timely and appropriate manner. If they do not do so, it is important that they be taught how to do this.

When teaching communication skills to young children with disabilities, particularly language disabilities, this is one of the first places I start because it takes so much pressure off of the teacher/parent when a child will answer with an appropriate response if they want something or not.

Some educators and professionals do not like using food as a reward, and I certainly would not use food with a child who has eating issues or is overweight, but one of the most effective methods of getting a child to appropriately respond to a yes/no question is to use small bits of candy. I then use these as my anticipatory set because the candy immediately gets the child's attention.

  Objective/Purpose:

Children will respond to yes/no questions in a timely manner.

 Procedure:

1. I start by giving a narrative. "Look what I have! Mini M&Ms. Do you like M&Ms?" (child lists hand to be given an M&M without saying anything). "What? I don't know what that means. Do you like M&Ms? Say yes or no." Sometimes the child will and sometimes the child will whine and continue to give an outstretched hand. Continue to play dumb. "I don't know what that means. You need to tell me yes/no." If the child is language impaired, you can use signing or picture cards.

2. Often, children will turn away, denying themselves the candy rather than giving in to me to say yes or no. I then try to re-engage their attention by shaking the M&M bag or anything to get them back. If they try to leave the area to play with something, you may have to start this lesson in a contained area where nothing else is available.

3. Typically, if done in a group, children will model the correct response after peers just to be part of the group but I frequently get children who would rather give up what they want to maintain their control. In this case, the motivator (M&M) has to be greater than their desire to not respond.

4. When (and if) the child says s/he likes M&Ms, you can again ask "Do you want an M&M?" Again, make the child respond with a yes or no before giving them the treat. If they refuse to answer, do not give them the M&M under any circumstances or you will reinforce the wrong behavior (not asking for what they want).

5. Have children model for each other how to respond to a variety of yes/no questions, rewarding them with an M&M for their response. Questions can be simple: "Do you have blue eyes?" "Do you have a baby brother?" "Do you like to eat frogs?"

6. This can be done in a group or individually. Simply check to make sure children can respond with a yes/no appropriately. This sounds like a simple lesson, but believe me, I frequently have to teach it to teens in my therapeutic practice. It is very important that children respond appropriately when spoken to and this lesson should not be misconstrued as something unnecessary.

 Practice & Extended Activities:

Assign partners to practice addressing each other with one child being a child and the other being a person of authority asking yes/no questions and rewarding the other with a treat for responding correctly.

Follow up this activity with individual practice. Children might do an art project directed toward this topic, such as drawing pictures of people in authority and then telling how they would address that person. Their responses can be written on their papers.