Choice making allows a learner to express their wants and needs, have an influence over the things they do, and learn that choices have consequences.
Familiar objects
- To begin, start with 2 familiar objects to choose from, e.g. 2 toys, 2 fruits, 2 books.
- Make sure the 2 objects contrast well with the surface they are presented on.
- It helps if one of the objects is highly preferred (this will reduce random choices).
- Give time to look, to process and to respond to the objects.
- Once a choice is made, remove the other object and give the learner child to explore their chosen object.
- Make a note of consistent choices.
Next steps: Photos of familiar objects
- Once the learner is making consistent choices using familiar objects, you can replace them with photos of the actual objects instead.
- If the learner is consistently making choices using the actual photos of objects, you may want to explore using symbols instead.
Contact your Advisory Teacher for additional advice and support.