Are you looking for ideas of speech & langauge activities you can do with your child with autism at home, using items you already have in your house?

Many kids with autism have speech delays or difficulties. Even fluent speakers can struggle with traditional language and literacy lessons. While online learning tasks can be very beneficial, many of our kids prefer to use their tablets for their regular, fun games.

So here are some simple ideas for speech & langauge activities you can do at home with your child/children with autism which won’t cost you anything:

1. Use your child’s special interests to play your own variation of “I went to the zoo and I saw …….” . E.g. If your child likes ocean creatures, “I dived in the ocean and I saw …..”, or if they like trains “I went to the station & I saw ……”. The next player has to repeat the previous player’s choice plus their own, etc and the game keeps going so you have a long list of choices to remember. (If your child can tolerate winners & losers then players have to drop put when they can’t remember a previous answer, and the winner is the person left playing after everyone else has dropped out).

2. Sing! If your child likes pop music, do a mini pop concert at home (if you don’t have a mic, improvise with another object or make one with paper). If your child likes action songs, then use these songs to get the family moving about as you sing. If your child is not yet verbal, then miss out the last word in a line and give them time to join in with a sound, sign or picture card.

3. Play “Pass the Story”. One person starts off with “Once upon a time there was a ………..”, then it passes to the next player to say the next sentence or phrase, and so on. Be sure to set any rules before hand that you might need e.g. no violence, if you know an older sibling will try to upset a younger one with their part of the story. You can adapt the game for your pre-verbal child by using signs, symbols or aac to tell the story.

4. Make a Family Book. Use a notebook or scrapbook, or make one by folding paper. Draw pictures or print, cut & stick photos of wider family members into your book. Label the pictures with the person’s name and a fact or sentence about them.

5. Make a “…………Book” about your child’s interest(s). Use a notebook or scrapbook and draw or stick pictures in it which relate to thier interest. Lable the pictures and write some descriptions or facts about them.

6. Do you have any picture game cards or flashcards? Use them for a Silly Sentence game. turn the cards upside down, players take turn to pick a card and say a Silly Sentence about the picture (You might need to set rules beforehand if one child might try to be cheeky or rude to upset another).

7. Make your own Lotto or Bingo games. Your child can design their own game by drawing or cutting and sticking pictures on the boards and cards, using their interests to get them motivated or download Printable Turn Taking Games.

8. Make your own Memory Pairs games. Use their interests. Draw pictures, use stickers, cut up old magazines, print images, and make pairs of cards.

9. Listen! Turn down the tv and radio (if your kid needs background music to stay, don’t turn it off), sit quietly for a minute or two (you’ll know best how long your child can do this), and listen to what you can hear inside and outside. Then give everyone a piece of paper to write or draw what they’ve heard, or use this  Listening sheet.

10. At the end of your evening meal, or the end of the day, ask everyone to share one thing they enjoyed today. You can speak, sign, use aac, or draw what you want to share.

I hope these ideas help you and your child/children have fun as they build confidence in their speech and language skills.

If you want to learn more about how to help your child develop their speech, download my 10 Speech Strategies Workbook for Parents

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I hope this information has been helpful,

Kirsten