Moving Beyond Requesting (Part 5): Describing
Welcome back to the fifth part in this series called Moving Beyond Requesting. If you haven't checked out parts 1-4, they would be helpful, especially Part 1. In this series, I have talked about how to teach concepts that lead to an increase in spontaneous commenting...
Using Core Language Boards During Storytime
Mission: Core BoardsAs an early childhood special educator turned Infants and Toddlers specialist, my mission is to spread the love and engagement with core language as much as possible. I have slowly started teaching families and now daycare centers how to use core...
Moving Beyond Requesting (Part 4): Teaching Negation with Increased Complexity
Hey! This is is the fourth part in a series called Moving Beyond Requesting. If you haven't read Part 3: Teaching Negation, I encourage you to check it out! Parts 1 & 2 discussed teacher feature, function, and category concepts and vocabulary in two levels of...
Creating Core and Fringe Boards
One of my goals as an Infants and Toddlers home service provider was to infuse core language and visuals into homes and daycares as much as possible. I understand it can be daunting for even teachers to utilize (core performance anxiety) so empowering parents and...
Moving Beyond Requesting (Part 3): Teaching Negation
"Don't do that." "That's not nice." "You shouldn't be doing that." "That isn't a nice thing to say." "Won't you stop?" "We can't go yet." You will hear these and other similar sentences in any hall or classroom and any school. These sentiments are often unavoidable...
Vehicle Themed File Folder Activities
My theme these past few weeks has been all about vehicles. I’ve been using vehicle themed adapted books, sorts, games, and other fun activities to work on various language skills with my students. To add to my vehicle fun I created a set of Vehicle Themed File...
Power Core Words in Action!
Last time I talked about a focus shift called Power Core Words. If you need a refresher of this, check out my last post here! I love using power core words because it creates a natural action plan for teachers and families, helps with generalization of language in...
Counting and Sorting Vehicle Fun
I’m finishing up my vehicle themed adapted book series this week with the book “How Many Vehicles Do You See?” This book is great to continue to build up those vehicle vocabulary terms while also working on those number concepts. I paired the book with a fun vehicle...
Moving Beyond Requesting (Part 2): Combining Feature, Function, and Category Concepts
Hey! Welcome to the second part in this series called, "Moving Beyond Requesting". If you didn't read part 1, Feature, Function, and Category, check it out! In part 1, I describe teaching feature, function, and category vocabulary and concepts and why I think they are...
Power Core Words at Home and in School
If you know us here at the Autism Helper, you know our passion for increasing and encouraging communication! Everyone has a right to communicate, and it is our job as educators, therapists, providers, parents, assistants (ie: everyone) to find ways do this! Now, as...
What Color is the Vehicle? Adapted Book and Free Vehicle Themed Bingo Games
I’ve been using my vehicle themed adapted books paired with a variety of vehicle themed activities to work on all sorts of language skills with my students. This week I’m using the book “What Color is the Vehicle?” to work on color concepts while also learning common...
What Vehicle Do You See? and Free Big/Small Vehicle Sort
I love using adapted books with my students because they are engaging and make learning fun while still working on important language skills. I try to pick themes or topics which interest my students while still focusing on different skills sets they need. Recently,...
Moving Beyond Requesting (Part 1): Feature, Function, & Category
This is the first post in a six part series about building vocabulary to support increasingly complex language tasks both receptively and expressively. Many of our students are nonverbal or limited-verbal communicators. For some, picture exchange is a useful and...
Spring Animal Language and Learner Lessons
I love this time of year when you start to hear the birds and frogs outside and the weather is a bit warmer. I think everyone can use a little freshen up and sunshine here lately! I recently took a trip to the Dollar Tree and it did not disappoint. While I don’t...
Behavior Task Cards
I love teaching and working on social skills with my students. I’m a big fan of Michelle Garcia Winner and incorporate a lot of her Social Thinking concepts and vocabulary terms when working on these important skills. I think one of the foundational skills to work...
Preposition Boards
Learning prepositional concepts is so important for our students but also a challenging skill to teach. I always have students who are working on this skill. I would say one of my most go to goals I write for my students involves understanding and following...
The 12 Days of St. Patrick’s Day with Free Book Visuals and Questions
I’m always on the lookout for new books to use with my students related to holidays and I recently found one for St. Patrick’s Day which is “The 12 Days of St. Patrick’s Day.” I have used the other “The 12 Days of….” holiday books by Jenna Lettice and when I saw this...
Using Adapted Books to Work on Color Concepts
Still working on color concepts with your students? I created another adapted book series about colors. This series includes; “What Color is the Food?”, “What Color is the Animal?”, and “What Color is the School Supply?” Many of the students on my caseload are...
Activities for Teaching Plural Concepts
I’m sure you know teaching grammar is not easy. There are so many different rules and exceptions to the rules which makes teaching grammar to our students challenging. We have lots of grammar skills we can work on with our students but today it’s all about plurals. ...
Counting Adapted Book Series
Working on number concepts with your students? Check out this Counting Adapted Book Series. The set includes “How Many Do You See?”, “Let’s Count the Animals!”, and “I Can Count!” Each book has a different format but the goal is to work on those 1 to 1-10 number...