Can I please have a flat white? Perhaps you asked this at the local café this morning on your way to work. Requesting something – a desired food item, toy or continuation of a favourite activity – is a fundamental communication skill. Everyone must also learn the appropriate way to request help from another person.
As busy parents, it is very easy to interpret your children’s needs. Although it can be tempting to quieten a child’s whining or screaming by handing over that teddy, it is vital to expect your son or daughter to communicate clearly in all environments. Encourage her to request help, objects and actions with the above phrases:
– Your child probably knows the above phrases, so a prompt of ‘may…’ or ‘would you…’ should remind her to request clearly.
– Get your whole family to model these phrases and request in the same way (this helps your child learn even faster).
Won’t it be great when your child learns the power of a question to influence his or her environment?
If you have concerns about your child’s requesting skills, call Box Hill Speech Pathology on 9899 5494 for more information or to book an initial assessment.
Content by Vicky Andrews and Genevieve Callister
Editing by Nicola Anglin (Speech Pathologist)
