I love to work with smart, collaborative team members. Here is a writeup of a group of predictable, co-active routines for one of our students, Jim. These are activities he loves. Because he loves these, they are the routines we want to capitalize on for language and vision use. He will have greater interest and attention to these materials and build familiarity with the icons and photographs.
Predictable Sequences for Jim
Prepared by Tess Daigle and Ellen Mazel, CASE Collaborative
April 25, 2016
Using Predictable Sequences to Promote Communication and Visual Understanding
Adapted from Perkins Scout, Cognitive Development in Young Children: Developing Meaningful Routines in
Predictable Sequences can be an important tool for developing Jim’s interest in communicating and increasing his communication skills. Predictable Sequences can be songs, finger plays and coactive movement activities in which he participates and that happen consistently, the same way every time.
Their basic ingredients include:
- A name or a label for the activity. (In some cases, a visual symbol may be used to represent the activity.)
- a consistent beginning, middle and ending
- opportunities for Jim to actively participate in the activity
- consistent language to support understanding of the activity.
Predictable sequences help Jim learn many different skills. Because Jim has had the opportunity to learn and practice the sequence with support and he already knows what will happen next, it is easier for him to make the connection between the activity and the communication about it. In addition, motivation for communicating is often built into routines. For example, when a song or movement is paused, it provides him with the opportunity to signal his desire to continue by moving his body, vocalizing, activating the Step-by-Step to indicate “More!”, or to bring his hands together to “sign “More.” Providing extra time for him to respond in these activities can also give him a chance to reject or end and activity that he may not prefer. Both the predictable sequence and the additional communication help support his understanding about communication interactions with a partner, concepts about patterns, time, and names for things and actions. Some functional communication opportunities that are supported by predictable sequences include:
- requesting something
- confirming an understanding of a situation
- getting attention
- sharing information
- labeling an object or activity
- initiating a social interaction
- rejecting an object or activity or saying “no”/ “I’m all done.”
Building many different reasons for communicating into a routine will expand Jim’s communication opportunities.
Jim can use a variety of communication methods within a predictable sequence or a routine including (but not limited to)
- gestures, such as moving his body or reaching
- Looking at his partner, an object or a symbol
- an AAC device such as his Step-by-Step Communicator
- sign language approximations (e.g., “more”, “all done”)
- picture communication symbols or enhanced picture communication symbols to request a preferred activity.
- voice—speech or other vocalization
You may also want to think about how Jim can use all of his senses to increase his participation in a routine. He can use his vision, touch, hearing, and even smell and taste within a routine to give him a cue about what to do next, to motivate his participation, or to reinforce when he has completed a step in the routine.
Predictable Sequences:
- Spaghetti Arms
- Shake, Shake, Shake
- Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes
- Tickle Your Chin
- Happy and You Know It
- Up and Down
Predictable Sequences
1.) Spaghetti Arms
Begin: Point to picture communication symbol, then say, “Let’s do Spaghetti Arms.”
Sequence: Stroke Jim’s lower arms three times with deep pressure saying: “One, two, three….”, then hold his hands and shake them vigorously and say ….”spaghetti arms!”
Following this, pause, then using hand-under-hand coactive tactile sign and verbal language, signal “More spaghetti arms.”, then repeat the sequence.
End: Using hand-under-hand coactive tactile sign and verbal language, signal “We are all done with Spaghetti arms. Assist Jim to place the picture communication symbol in the red highlighted all done bin.
Predictable Sequences
Begin: Point to picture communication symbol, then say, “Let’s do Shake, Shake, Shake.” (Shake the maraca.)
Sequence: Offer the maraca to Jim and direct him to take/hold it. Give him assistance to grasp the maraca as need. Sing “Jim can shake, shake, shake. Jim can shake, shake, shake. Jim can shake …..,Jim can shake…., Jim can shake, shake, shake.
Now, lift the maraca up and say “Up!”. Holding the maraca up, shake it and sing the song again.
Next, move the maraca down and tap it on the table. Say “Down!”, change voice to high or low, shake the maraca and sing again.
This activity can be varied by changing to a low or high voice to make it silly and fun or by shaking the maraca fast or slow! Also, by pausing the activity briefly, Jim can be given the opportunity to move his body to signal, “Keep moving!”
End: Using hand-under-hand coactive tactile sign and verbal language, signal “We are all done with Shake, Shake, Shake.” Assist Jim to place the picture communication symbol in the all done bin.
Predictable Sequences
- Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes
Begin: Point to picture communication symbol, then say, “Let’s do Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.”
Sequence: Hold Jim’s hands and move them to touch his head, shoulders, knees and toes as you sing the song. Following this, pause, then using hand-under-hand coactive tactile sign and verbal language, signal “More Head , Shoulders, Knees and Toes.”, then repeat the sequence.
This activity can be varied by singing it very fast or slow, loud or soft.
End: Using hand-under-hand coactive tactile sign and verbal language signal “We are all done with Head Shoulders Knees and Toes. Assist Jim to place the picture communication symbol in the all done bin.
Predictable Sequences
Begin: Point to picture communication symbol, then say, “Tickle Your Chin.”
Sequence: Wiggle your index finger within Jim’s visual field and exclaim, “I’m going to tickle your chin! “, then gently tickle him below his chin and say, “Tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle!”. Be aware that sudden, unanticipated touch like this might be difficult for Jim to tolerate at first. Give Jim plenty of time to get ready before tickling him. Then, be sensitive to possibility that he might prefer to stop or keep going depending on his reaction. Following this, pause, then using hand-under-hand coactive tactile sign and verbal language, signal “More Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.”, then repeat the sequence. Or, end the activity based on Jim’s response.
End: Using hand-under-hand coactive tactile sign and verbal language signal “We are all done with Tickly Your Chin.” Assist Jim to place the picture communication symbol in the all done bin.
Predictable Sequences
Begin: Point to picture communication symbol, then say, “Happy and You Know It.”
Sequence: Provide Jim with hand-under-hand assistance to sing the “If You’re Happy and You Know It” song. Clap hands, stomp feet, or raise arms up and shout “Hooray!” for sequenced verses. Following this, pause, then using hand-under-hand coactive tactile sign and verbal language, signal “More Happy and You Know It.”, then repeat the sequence. Or, end the activity based on Jim’s response.
End: Using hand-under-hand coactive tactile sign and verbal language signal “We are all done with Happy and You Know It.” Assist Jim to place the picture communication symbol in the all done bin.
Predictable Sequences
Begin: Point to picture communication symbol, then say, “Up and Down.”
Sequence: Hold Jim’s hands with your thumbs on top of his hands. This will allow you to use touch cues to signal “up” and “down” as you continue the predictable sequence. Moving your thumbs, tap three times on the top of Jim’s hand, then say/sing “Up, up, up, up, up.” Next, press your thumb down and slide it across the top of his hand, then say/song “Down, down, down, down, down.” Repeat. The third time, tell Jim “This time, get ready to shake!” and shake both of his hands very gently. Tap three times on the top of Jim’s hand, then say/sing “Up, up, up, up, up.” Press your thumb down and slide it across the top of his hand, then say/song “Down, down, down, down, down.” Tap three times on the top of Jim’s hand, then say/sing “Up, up, up, up, up.” Next, with hands still up, say sing, ‘Shake ‘em all around and ‘round, and ‘round, and ‘round, and ‘round and ‘round!” as you vigorously shake Jim’s arms all around. Following this, pause, then using hand-under-hand coactive tactile sign and verbal language, signal “Up and Down.”, then repeat the sequence. Or, end the activity based on Jim’s response.
End: Using hand-under-hand coactive tactile sign and verbal language signal “We are all done with Up and Down.” Assist Jim to place the picture communication symbol in the all done bin.
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