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Sabotage
dcosby
5/31/2017 7:27 PM
Sabotage can be an effective method to elicit communication with struggling communicators. Examples of this practice can be done in any aspect of a child’s day. These methods are meant to prompt a student to communicate a want, need or protest. Ideally, students initiate communication upon reacting to the sabotage. If the target student does not respond to the environmental stimuli, a teacher can use an open ended question or statement to indirectly reference the sabotage. If this prompt fails to prompt the student to communicate, more direct questioning can be used to draw the student’s attention to the sabotage and then request communication from the student. Below are examples from different activities during the school day where sabotage can be used to initiate student communication.
-During a reading activity where all children are reading the same text, give the targeted student a book with pages missing. The teacher could spend more time talking about those pages to prompt a student to notify someone about their missing pages. If communication isn’t independently initiated by the student, the teacher could use open ended questions to prompt the student to communicate their problem with their book.
-During a physical education game, give the target student a ball that is heavily deflated compared to other balls used by students. If the student does not independently request a new ball, the teacher can prompt using a general statement or question such as “Your ball isn’t bouncing very high, why is that?”
-During a snack activity, give the target student a juice box with the straw missing. The student may explore ways to drink without the straw or initiate communication with an adult to get help. An open ended statement or question example could be “That’s a strange way to drink your juice…”
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Statement A
My child doesn't seem to have real control over his body yet.
The only way I know that he wants something is because he fusses or whines when he's unhappy or uncomfortable, and he smiles, makes noises or calms down when he's happy and comfortable. Does this statement describe your child?
Statement B
My child has control over her own behaviors, but she doesn't use them to try to communicate to me.
She doesn't come to me to let me know what she wants, but it's easy for me to figure out, because she tries to do things for herself. She knows what she wants, and her behavior shows me what she wants. If she runs out of something to eat, she will just try to get more, rather than trying to get me to give her more.
Does this statement describe your child?
Statement C
My child clearly tries to communicate his needs to me through gestures, sounds or language.
He knows how to get me to do something for him. He uses some of the kinds of behaviors below to communicate:
- Gestures such as pointing, shaking his head, tugging at my arm or looking back and forth between me and what he wants
- Sounds such as squealing to show you he wants something or fussing when he doesn't want something
- Language or symbolic forms of communication such as speech, written words, Braille, picture symbols, 3-dimensional symbols or sign language
Does this statement describe your child?
How to score your child
Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors. Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors. If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging
Mastered
– Does this independently most of the time when the opportunity arises
– Does this in a number of di erent contexts, and with di erent people
Emerging
– Does this inconsistently
–
Only does this when prompted or encouraged to do so. Only does this in one or two contexts or with one person.
Tips on Communication Devices
Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors. Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors. If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging