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Whether a child likes or prefers a certain toy may not seem all that important to you. Who's got time to play when there are all those IEP goals to work on?
But--suppose one of his IEP goals is: "Take five steps with his walker." What might happen if you put his favorite toy on a table where he can see it? Now he has a reason to move: to get to that toy and spin it.
IEP goal accomplished! He takes five steps without falling to the floor in a tantrum. With repetition, the concept of "walking" is linked to the enjoyment of playing with the preferred toy.
Getting started:
- Ask family members what their child does at home. How does she interact with household objects, siblings, pets, grandparents, friends? What does she spend time doing alone?
- Just as important, what objects or activities does he dislike?
- List the people, activities or objects on a "Likes/Dislikes" form to make sure you've asked about a variety of categories (not just foods or toys, for example).
- Think about how to use the child's preferences in his daily schedule and routines. (Don't forget to build in some fun, too. Children with deaf-blindness need down time!)
- If the student only likes toys with a certain quality, introduce one new thing. For example, if the child only likes soft cloth diapers, sew a jingle bell on one for her to discover.
- Use likes and dislikes for matching or sorting. Example: place three stuffed animals (child's like) in a box. Add a metal bowl (child's dislike). The child can take out the stuffed animals and leave the bowl. This is also a great way to start conversations. Start using the phrase with the child, "You like ____," or, "You don't like ___."
- If the child enjoys a certain action such as bouncing or jumping, consider how that movement can be used to work toward accomplishing an objective such as counting: 1, 2, 3.
- See More Info to learn more about assessing a child's areas of ability.
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