A step-by-step book for developing Spoken Language

Fluency for kids on the Autism Spectrum.

Develop Spoken
Language Fluency
For Kids On The
Autism Spectrum
(Basic Level)
 Table Of Content
Lesson Lesson Page no
No
1. Week 1 - 1
Simple Picture Description

2. Week 2 - 8
Complex Picture Description

3. Week 3 - 14
Why Is “This” Important?

4. Week 4 - 19
Sequencing

5. Week 5 - 25
Categorization & Odd One Out

6. Week 6 - 30
What Is Wrong In This Picture

7. Week 7 - 36
Spot The Differences

8. Week 8 - 44
Basic Emotions
 Introduction
Hello parents,
A warm welcome from Sashakt Empowering
Lives. This booklet is designed to teach
children on the Autism Spectrum and other
intellectual difficulties, how to develop the
ability to meaningfully communicate their
wants, desire and opinions.

This booklet is a Step By Step Guide for a

parent to develop spoken language ability &
fluency in their kid with Autism from one word
level to 3-4 sentences at a stretch.

I welcome you all dear parents on this exciting

journey to teaching your kid how to
communicate meaningfully, not only with close
family members but also to the entire world
outside.

MAY EACH KID WIN!!!.

Rajni Singh
 Week 1 - Simple Picture Description
This is chapter 1. In this chapter, you will first help the kid learn
names of different objects by showing them live objects as well as
pictures of objects.
Help the kid say:-
1) One word about the object first
(Ex:- Tree, upon seeing picture of a tree)
2) If kid is already at one word level teach kid to say 2 words about
the object.
(Ex:- This …… tree)
3) When kid is at a 2 word level help kid to say 3 words by showing
the picture.
(Ex:- This is tree, etc.)
4) When kid can easily do a 3 word sentence seeing the picture, now
move to 2 sentences.
(Ex:- This is tree. Tree is green. etc.)
5) Similarly as the kid learns more to 3 sentences and then to 4
sentences.
Main Objective Of Lesson 1 :-
Kid will speak 3-4 sentences when shown a picture.
The sentences should be on the following aspects:

 What is this? This is a tree.

 What is the colour? Tree is green.
 What we get from this? Tree gives us fruit.
 What is it made of? Tree is made of wood.

For every picture, sentences should be built upon the above mentioned
4 aspects.
Practice all given pictures in Lesson 1 until fluency is achieved. Then
show an entirely different picture and ask kid to describe it.
If kid can successfully describe the new picture on the basis of the 4
mentioned aspects.
(For EX: If you showed the kid picture of a pencil and kid said, This
is Pencil, Pencil is red, I write with Pencil, Pencil is made of wood.)
If this is achieved without the parent having to give the sentences to
the kid, it can be safely assumed that kid has learnt Lesson 1.
If kid still gets stuck with sentence formation, then it means MORE
PRACTICE IS NEEDED! As the kid masters Lesson 1 move to Lesson
number 2. I wish you all the best!

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 Week 2 - Complex Picture Description
Welcome to Chapter 2. In this chapter you will help the child to
describe simple actions happening in a given picture. Also kid will use
the knowledge acquired in chapter 1 (such as talking about color of a
given object, without being prompted to do so) while explaining a given
picture in which some scenario is given and some action is taking place.

Help the kid to describe the various aspects of the picture in 2-3
word phrases.
Ex. This is mall; upon seeing the picture of a mall.

And 2-3 such like sentences about the picture.

Example:
 This is a mall.
 Man is going in lift
 Girl is eating ice cream.
 I like going to mall.

You can skip “to” initially and add it later as kid learns to say “I like
going to the mall”. When kid can easily say 2-3 sentences upon seeing
the picture, then move to complex pictures. Teach kid to say 4-5
sentences on simple picture {2-3 obvious things that kid can see, and
1-2 thing for which kid will have to think}

For example,
 This is mall.
 Man is in lift in mall.
 Girl eating ice cream in mall.
I like going mall.
(Not visible, not obvious… thinking sentences)
 We park car in mall parking.
 I will finish home work, mummy will take me to mall.

Practice all given pictures in lesson 2, until fluency is achieved and

then show an entirely different picture that you have not practiced
with kid earlier and ask kid to describe it. If kid can successfully
describe the picture, it means kid has learnt to describe a complex
picture and is ready for Lesson 3. If not practice until the above
explained process is achieved. Then move to lesson 3.

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 Week 3 - Why Is “THIS” Important?
Welcome to Chapter 3. In this chapter, we teach a child the
importance of day to day objects and build his/her skills of explaining
why is something important and what will happen if we do not have
that thing.

Show a picture from lesson 3 to the kid. For example,

A) Picture of Knife
B) Picture of Candle

Then tell kid to repeat behind you

 This is knife,
 We cut with knife.
 If no knife, we cannot cut.

Similarly, for candle,

 This is candle
 When no light, we put on candle
 If no candle, we will sit in dark

All this stage, do not focus on grammatically correct sentence

formation.
Focus more on kid being able to convey meaningfully, even if
grammatically incorrect.
Once kid learns to convey properly we move to helping the kid learn
to speak in grammatically correct sentence.

Example.
 This is a knife.
 We use a knife to cut things.
 Mummy uses knife in kitchen to cut vegetables and make lunch.
 Knife is very important.
 If there is no knife we cannot cut vegetables.
 We cannot make lunch.

Lesson 3 is a stepping stone for kids to be able to answer questions

in EVS subject at school.

Practice this level WELL!

Once achieved fully then move to Lesson 4

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 Week 4 - Sequencing
Welcome to Chapter 4. In this chapter, we help the child to sequence
events and picture story cards. Initially we model and show to kid
how to sequence the story cards. Thereafter the kid does the same.

We expect kid to say:-

 3 words on each card if kid is at a 2 level.

For example,
If a kid says “Eating banana” (looking at a picture of a girl eating
banana), we will encourage kid to say “girl eating banana”
If kid is at a 3 word level, we encourage and expect kid to say a 4
word phrase such as “Girl is eating banana.”

Kids who are comfortable saying 4 words, we expect them to say a 5

word complete grammatically correct sentence such as,
 Girl pealed the banana.
 Girl is eating the banana.
 Girl will throw peal in dustbin.

Like this, please practice every given picture with the kid in this
lesson.

First you give sentences to the kid, then you jumble the cards,
expect kit to unjumble and give 2 words, 3 words, 4 words or
complete sentence and describe the given sequence in 2-3 such like
sentences.

After giving extensive practice, show a new set of 3-4 cards, and
ask kid to sequence them and talk about them.
This is a test. Do not give answers here. Assess how much kid can
handle independently.
If kid can sequence correctly and give a fairly understandable
explanation.
Kid is ready for complex card sequencing. Increase no of picture
cards and make sequence difficult.

Once kid can do that, move to next chapter.

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 Week 5 - Categorization & Odd One Out
Welcome to Lesson 5. In this chapter, we will first make the child
aware that there are various categories to which things belong.

Parents needs to buy a drawing copy and paste pictures of:-

A) All fruits on both pages B) All Kitchen items
C) All vehicles D) All furniture
E) All electronics F) All musical instruments
All animals (Parents can do all farm animals all, wild animals separately or all
carnivorous, all herbivorous etc. Depending upon the kids level of understanding)

Create a booklet like this and make the child go through various
categories. Thereafter put pictures of 3 objects from one category
and 1 object from a different category in front of the kid.

For example,
1 2 3 4

Then teach the kid Pic 1, 3, 4 are same. All are fruits. Pic 2 is a
musical instrument. It is different, Pic 2 is ODD. Teach a few times
with pictures from this chapter and then ask kid to find which is Odd.
Ask kid to explain in his words, which is Odd and “Why”?
Then show a new set of pictures (which you haven't explained before)
and ask kid to tell which is different and why?
If kid can answer independently in One word example, “fruit” or
“music” etc. Encourage kid to use 2-3 words such as, ‘There are
fruits that is music’. If kid can answer in 2-3 words encourage by
saying the words yourself first (Example: Tell to repeat behind you:
[Picture 1, 3, 5 are all fruits. Picture 2 is a music instrument.
Picture 2 is different] etc.
Once kid is able to correctly find which is Odd and also explain in his
own words, why it is Odd, you can move to the next chapter. Until
then keep practicing, until the kid gets it! All the best!
Use this newly acquired skill in real life situations such as these:-
Placing three of dad’s shirts and one of mum’s saree in front of the
kid and ask which one is different and why?
Such activities will help immensely in generations of skill as well as
fluency of language.

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 Week 6 - What Is Wrong In This Picture?
Welcome to Chapter 6. In this chapter we teach kid how to use
logical thinking and common sense and help kid to develop language to
explain if something is illogical or meaningless.
In this lesson, show the pictures given, show to kid and say…

Ex: In this picture I can see rats in a flower vase; flowers are kept
in flower vase, not in rats, “ This picture is wrong”
Then ask kid to repeat what you just said.
Similarly, show all pictures; give words practice with kid, ask kid to
repeat after you.
After many trials, show a picture which you still haven’t tried with
the kid, see how much he is able to answer. If he can figure out,
what is wrong, great! Then move to more complex pictures if he/she
struggles, practice until fluency is achieved.
For kids at 2-3 word level, encourage to say 4-5 words. For kids
saying 4-5 word grammatically correct sentence, expect kid to say 2
sentence. Always strive for the next level.
Ex: If kid can explain well, then ask kid to say in 2 sentences like
this:- “This picture is wrong because in this picture I can see rats
are in a flower vase. Flowers are kept in a flower vase, not rats.”
Once kid is able to correctly find what is wrong in this picture and
also explain in his own words, why it is wrong, you can move to the
next chapter.
Until then keep practicing, until the kid gets it! All the best!

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 Week 7 - Spot The Differences in the
pictures

Welcome to Chapter 7. By the time we reach Lesson 7, we

are expecting that the kid is now well versed with speaking
in at least 4-5-6 word sentences and 2-3 such like
sentences, with fluency.

In this chapter, first show the kid the differences by:

 pointing with fingers
 marking with pencil
 uploading picture on to your mobile and zooming it to
show the difference very clearly.

Then use the language,

For Example: I can see girl wearing blue saree, etc.
Colour of the saree is different. Try to keep the language
constant as this helps in teaching the kid to respond to a
picture much faster.

Teach with a few pictures and then show a new picture to

the kid and expect kid to show you the difference and give
the answer.

Move to next level if kid is ready.

Once kid is able to correctly find difference in the picture

and also explain what is different in his own words, you can
move to the next chapter.

If not, practice until fluency is obtained and then move

forward to next chapter.

All the best!

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 Week 8 - Understanding Basic Emotions
Welcome to Chapter 8. This is the concluding chapter in Language
Development basic volume 1 book. This is mostly feelings based and
so, is abstract. This is also the beginning stage of Volume 2 or the
advance level of language and communication as Volume 2 deals with
abstract thinking.
In this chapter we teach naming different emotions they feel in life.

Go to each picture and name the emotion. Then explain picture to kid
and ask him/her to explain the picture to you in 4-5 sentences.
[If a kid is still at 2 word phase, Kindly do not attempt this level]

This level must be attempt only when kid is able to speak 2-3-4
grammatically correct sentences at a stretch, with fluency; without
requiring any prompt from the parent.

Next step, Tell kid about an incident that happened in the kids life
where he/she faced similar emotion. [For ex, “when you lost your
favourite toy car in the park, you felt sad… just like this boy is
feeling sad because he lost his toy plane etc.]

Lastly, ask kid to narrate the incident in his own words.

Except 4-5-6 sentences at a stretch from the kid at this level.

I wish all parents all the very best on this journey of teaching
language skills to their kids on the autism spectrum. Always remember,
There is always more to learn and more to teach, our kids can learn!

Once children master the basic level of language development then

they must be taught the advance level of language skills where they
use their imagination and respond.

Autism is workable, teachable and each kid can learn!

May each kid win!!!

- Rajni Singh

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 For more Titles in our Autism Training Book Series,
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