← Tilbage til bloggen

3 min. læsning

Modelling: showing, not testing

How families use their child's symbol board themselves while they talk, and simple ways to fit it into an ordinary day.

Denne artikel er endnu ikke oversat til dit sprog, så den vises på engelsk. Hjælp os med at oversætte den

Children learn to speak by hearing speech, for years, before anyone expects them to answer. Children who are learning to communicate with symbols need the same thing: to see other people use their symbols, again and again, in real situations. This is called modelling. You may also hear it called aided language input or aided language stimulation.

Many speech and language therapists encourage families to model. This post describes what it can look like at home. It’s general information, not a therapy plan; your child’s therapist can help you adapt it.

What modelling looks like

You talk as you normally would, and while you talk, you tap the most important words on your child’s board.

“Let’s go outside!” You tap GO and OUTSIDE.

“Uh-oh, the juice spilled. More juice?” You tap UH OH, then MORE.

That’s all. You’re not asking your child to copy you. You’re showing that these symbols are a real way to say things.

Seven habits families often find useful

  1. Model one or two words, not whole sentences. If your child doesn’t use symbols yet, single words are plenty. If they use single words, model two.
  2. Don’t test. Avoid “Show me juice” or “Say it on the tablet.” Testing turns communication into an exam. Just keep modelling.
  3. Pause and wait. After you model, wait quietly. Count to ten in your head. Some children need much more time than we expect to respond, in any way.
  4. Respond to every attempt. If your child taps a symbol, even one that seems random, answer as if it was meant: “STOP? Okay, I’m stopping.” This shows that a tap makes something happen.
  5. Model more than requests. WANT and MORE are useful, but so are comments (FUNNY, LOOK), feelings (HAPPY, TIRED) and refusals (NO, STOP, ALL DONE). Being able to say no matters, and it means more when that “no” is respected whenever it safely can be.
  6. Keep the board within reach. A communication tool only works when it’s there. Try not to take it away as a consequence or save it for special times: that also takes away your child’s way to talk.
  7. Give it time. Don’t be discouraged if weeks go by without a visible response. Learning a language takes a long time, for everyone.

Making it part of the day

Modelling doesn’t need extra time. Choose one or two routines your child enjoys, such as snack time or a favourite game, and model a few words there every day. Our post on everyday routines has ideas for different parts of the day.

It also helps when the people around your child model in a similar way: parents, siblings, grandparents and teachers. Show them the board and the few words you’re focusing on.

Using Sono for modelling

A few settings make modelling easier in Sono:

  • Pick a layout that fits your child. The Menu, Simple and Advanced layouts show different amounts at once. Menu and Advanced have a sentence bar for joining words together; Simple has none and speaks each word as it’s tapped. You can switch layouts under Caretaker Settings > Board Display.
  • Single tap or double tap. By default, one tap speaks a word and a double tap adds it to the sentence. If you’d rather a single tap adds the word, change it in the same place.
  • Use real photos. Replace a symbol with a photo of your child’s own cup, toy or grandma under Caretaker Settings > Customise Symbols. A familiar picture can make a word easier to recognise.
  • Hide what you don’t need yet. Hiding symbols under Caretaker Settings > Hidden Symbols makes a crowded board calmer. You can show them again at any time.

The usage guide explains these settings step by step.