KidsTalk Wellington Blog: August 2014

R	Repeat

Repeat what you say and do. You might have to play the game several times, using the same actions and words so that your child understands how the game works and what to expect.

O	Opportunity

This the turn that you want your child to take to keep the game going. Your child’s opportunity depends on how he communicates now. What kind of turn can you expect him to take? For example, could he make a sound? Move his body? Use a word?

Cue

This is what you do to let your child know that he should take his turn. The best kinds of cues are natural ones such as stopping after you have finished the game and waiting, looking expectant so your child gets the message that he should take a turn. But, if he doesn’t take his turn, you will need to give him more help, such as showing him what to do (by doing it yourself) or physically helping him.

K	Keep it going and keep it fun!

The goal of people games is to get your child to play with you in a back-and-forth interaction that lasts a long time. This means that you take a turn by playing part of the game, then your child takes a turn and this continues many times. Turn-taking in people games is an important step towards having real conversations. The best way to keep it going is to make the game fun for your child so he’ll want to continue.

For more information on building communication in children with ASD or Social Communication Difficulties go to:

http://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Articles/R-O-C-K--in-People-Games--For-Children-with-ASD-or.aspx#.U2mGJGUUHcI.twitter