Semantic Pragmatic Disorder Support Group
Teaching Ideas
Here is a list of things you can try to teach your SPD child to help them to
succeed socially and to stay safe in their everyday lives. This list has some
valuable ideas of the sorts of things every child needs to learn. Although some
children, especially those with moderate to severe problems, may not achieve some of
these goals, it is worth trying to work towards them. I hope to build this list up
so there is a lesson for each and every day. I hope you find it useful for ideas on
how to support your child and help them to achieve some independence.
Try to teach your child :-
- To greet people politely
- To say thank-you to people when necessary and politely
- To say good-bye politely
- To try to recognise and understand their own feelings and express their
emotions appropriately.
- To try and consider the feelings, wishes and wants of others.
- To try to identify and cope with their emotions when angry or anxious.
- To talk about what they should do in a range of social situations eg dentist,
doctor, shop, cinema
- To try to stop and think before acting and to try and consider the
consequences of their own behaviour
- To try to evaluate a social situation and rethink difficult scenarios and how
to behave/react appropriately
- To try to respect another's property and personal space
- To try to listen to and follow instructions of increasing complexity
- To try to relate positively to adults and to their peers
- To try to use appropriate language and react appropriately in a variety of
situations
- To try to understand why routines are necessary eg making sure the doors and
windows are closed when going out
- To try to understand why rules are necessary
- To try to understand why it is important to co-operate with trusted adults in
all situations
- To try to understand which adults can be trusted and which can't
- To try to understand when and when not to give your name when asked.
- To try to understand when and when not to tell someone where you live.
- To try to take turns with people
- To try to negotiate and make compromises with others
- To try to be a team player
- To try to understand when and how to help others when sad, hurt or in need
and to recognise insincerity, unscrupulousness and possible danger
- To try to understand and use the rules of good listening, including valuing
and respecting the views of others and how to show they are listening
- To feel secure in being able to say ‘no’ in appropriate
situations
- To try to express their views in an appropriate manner
- To know the difference between aggressive, passive and assertive
behaviour
- To try to understand that it is sometimes OK to have different viewpoints and
question each other
- To try to resolve a conflict without aggression
- To give directions on how to get from one place to another and keep away from
danger
- To try to understand the nature of friendly behaviour and to recognise and
accept when someone is being friendly and when someone is not
- To try to understand the importance of fostering the skills of friendship,
making and keeping a friend through mutual trust and caring.
- To receive and give compliments or positive comments
- To be aware of people who might be lonely
- To be aware of strategies for dealing with difficult social situations e.g.
bullying
- To try to understand and interpret facial expressions and non-verbal
language
- To try to understand, know and use the language of feelings and
emotions
- To try to understand others’ feelings and points of view
- To try to understand how their actions might affect other people
- To recognise the importance of keeping healthy and those things which
contribute to this
- Describe a health problem to a doctor or nurse
- Introduce themselves, giving their name and basic personal information
- To act according to a sense of what's right and wrong.
- To appreciate nature and the outdoors
- To appreciate the dangers of water
- To share something with a friend
- To do things for themselves and to help you
- To love books
- To enjoy listening to music
- To like to dance
- To be comfortable and appreciative of others ethnic backgrounds and teach
your child how to handle prejudice
- Teach your kids to have a sense of humour.
- To be honest
- Teach your child about which parts of their bodies are private and who to
tell and what to say if they are touched inappropriately
- If accosted by a stranger, teach your child to shout, "This person is not my
Dad (or Mum.)" A child who only struggles and yells may appear to passers by as
having a tantrum.
- Talk to your child about death and how to cope with grief
- Teach your child about the dangers of household items such as medicines,
detergents etc
- To laugh and be playful without harming others.
- To talk about their interests and family to friends, giving names and simple
information about them such as their occupations or what they look like
- Teach your child to stay alert, walk confidently and pay attention to his/her
surroundings.
- Teach your child about their boundaries, about places your child can go,
people they may see, and things they may and may not do.
- Rehearse safety skills so that they become second nature to your child
- Teach your children that adults should not approach children for help or
directions.
- To arrange to meet someone at a particular time and place and date in the
near future and remember to do that
- To appreciate the dangers of appliances and cookers
- To describe a typical routine activity, such as what they usually do at the
weekend
- To request items, discuss prices, and handle money in a situation involving a
purchase
- To describe in detail a particular place, such as a school, park, or
store
- To discuss things your child likes to do, such as leisure activities,
favourite hobbies or pastimes
- Talk about things your child would like to do in the future, such as a trip
or activity
- To describe a sequence of events that happened in the past
- To describe things that used to happen in the past, such as things your child
used to do when they were younger, or people and places they used to know or
visit
- Compare and contrast two objects, customs or places
- Talk about their future plans or goals
- Teach your child a simple process, such as making a cake or repairing a
tyre
- Have your child give instructions about what they would like someone to do,
explaining the steps involved in carrying out the activity
- Have your child give advice to someone faced with making a decision, giving
reasons for their advice
- Teach your child how to make a complaint appropriately, giving the reasons
and details of why you are dissatisfied
- Express a personal apology clearly and appropriately to someone they have
offended
- Discuss the pros and cons of a decision that both had a positive and negative
outcome
- Discuss what they would do in a hypothetical situation, such as if you
suddenly received a lot of money
- Identify and distinguish the proper way to answer and use the telephone, pass
on or take a message
- Direct someone to somewhere public
- Ask someone for the time, approaching them and thanking them
appropriately
- To think of a solution in a difficult situation and/or an everyday
problem.
- To wait calmly for someone or something.
- To feel and show concern for people and animals.
- To persuade someone to do something they do not want to do or to stop doing
something you do not like
- To describe a complex object, such as a car or bicycle or computer in detail,
using the correct vocabulary
- To express what they think might happen if something unexpected occurs
- Have a polite conversation with an important person/ someone with status
appropriately
- To discuss an issue in the news
- To learn to recognize authority and follow instructions.
- To demonstrate appropriate behavior and social etiquette in public places
eg.when eating out or in a library
- To demonstrate knowledge of important, likeable character traits.
- To recognize and respond to an emergency situation.eg how to call 999
- What to do and how to cope with being lost.
- To apply road safety rules.
- To decide what to wear, picking appropriate clothing for the season.
- To learn to express feelings of self-worth.
- To describe anothers' perception of themselves and say what they disagree
with and why.
- To accept and give praise.
- To accept and give criticism.
- To develop self confidence and self esteem.
- To identify safety signs and discuss their meaning.
- To identify unfamiliar odours eg burning, mould, sweat
- To identify unfamiliar sounds eg train/car approaching, fire/smoke
alarm
- Exhibit proper grooming and hygiene.
- Discuss substance abuse, eg cigarettes, alcohol, drugs.
- Discuss common illnesses, how to prevent and treat.
- Encourage physical fitness and good nutrition
- To count money and make correct change.
- To manage a savings account.
- Teach your child that a stranger is anyone he/she - and you - don't know.(As
a rule, teach your child that the stranger they approach is safer than the
stranger that approaches them.)
- Teach your child not to go anywhere even with a family friend, uncle or
cousin etc without checking with a parent/guardian first
- Teach your child to use a payphone, they may have to in an emergency
- Teach your child about the dangers of stroking or playing with dogs that they
do not know
- Teach your child to trust their instincts
- Teach your older child how to use plugs and electric switches sensibly
- Teach your child what to do if caught in a thunderstorm, where it is safe to
shelter
- Teach your child about the dangers of ice eg. not to run on it
- Encourage your child to communicate and let them know they can always talk to
you about any situation
- Teach your child what to do if a parent is late picking them up from school
for whatever reason.
- Point out safe places for your child to go to on the route to and from
school.
- Teach your child about the dangers of playing games that involve being dared
to do something
