Give Your Child a Reason to
Communicate - Ways to Help Your
Child Make Requests
Speech and Language Therapy Service
Place his favourite things within his view but out of reach
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Place your child’s favourite food on a high shelf in sight
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Place his/her favourite toy or video on a shelf out of
reach
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Put a sweet or favourite toy in a clear container that is
hard to open
If he can’t reach or get what he wants he may show you that he needs help, by taking you to
what he wants or by handing you something.
Use ‘People’ toys
People toys are hard to operate toys, like wind up toys, music boxes and bubbles, which
encourage interaction: your child needs your help to make them work. Even if he works out how to
operate the toy show him that it is more fun to do it with someone else than on his own.
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Wind-up and squeeze toys – Make the toy go and when it stops hand it to the child and wait
for him to request that you make it go again.
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Bubbles – Blow a few bubbles and as soon as your child starts to watch or pop the bubbles,
close the pot. Wait for him to ask you in some way to open it again. Or blow a bubble and
pause, holding the bubble wand at your mouth. Wait for him to ask in some way for more
bubbles.
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Balloons – Blow up a balloon, then let the air out or let it fly around the room. Wait for
your child to fetch the balloon and bring it back to you, or indicate in some way that he wants
you to do it again.
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Music boxes – Wind up the music box and let the music play. Wait for your child to show
you that he wants it again.
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Jack-in-the-box – Wind up the jack-in-the-box and let the toy pop up. Wait for the child to
look at you eagerly or h a n d it t o y o u f or anot h er go.
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Spinning tops – Start the top spinning and wait for your child to ‘ask’ for more.
Create your own ‘People’ toys
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Silly hat – Put a silly hat on your head and encourage your child to pull it off. After doing this a
few times, put the hat on your head but make it difficult for him to reach the hat. Wait for him
to ‘ask’ in some way for the hat. You can use other things e.g. sunglasses or a soft scarf.
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Water taps – Turn on a tap and let your child play with the water. Turn off the water and wait
for your child to ask for more.
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Mirrors – Play a peek-a-boo game. Hold your child away from the mirror, saying, ‘Where’s
Katie?’ and then jump in front of the mirror with her saying ‘There’s Katie!’ After doing this a
few times, hold your child away from the mirror for a longer time. Wait for her to show that she
wants to see herself again. You can also play copycat games: touch Mummy’s eyes, then the
child’s eyes, touch Daddy’s nose etc
Offer things bit by bit
If you give your child everything at once he doesn’t need to ask you for anything. By giving your
child small amounts you provide the opportunity for him to communicate his needs to you.
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Pour a small amount of juice into your child’s cup and wait for him to indicate he wants more
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Break biscuits/crisps into pieces and give him one piece at a time
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Give puzzle pieces, bricks, Lego or train track one piece at a time so he will need to
communicate with you in order to finish his construction. If he tries to grab the piece from you
hide it (e.g. up you sleeve or in your pocket) and make it appear when he asks for it.
Give all but one
Give your child all but one of the things that he needs for an activity. Hold the one thing out of
reach but within view and wait for him to ask for it e.g. give him the bubble wand but keep hold of
the bubbles.