Tahirh Bushey M.A.C.C.C.
Speech and Language Pathologist
Imaginary moments...
Many years ago, I created a series of pictures that I called Imaginary Moments in the Lives of the Bushey Family.
I would cut out a picture of someone in my family and stick the picture on to some interesting background photograph.
I used very low tech tools like scissors and glue. I developed the willingness to rip pictures out of beautiful photo books. I even bought a whole book once just so I could cut out one background picture. My daughter looked quite lovely strolling down a garden path in Europe - where she had never been!
Resolving problem behaviors with family doll games
It is very challenging for children with ASD to develop the skills of pretending and imagining without some visual support.
Kids with ASD cannot imagine doing something that has never occurred in real life, including behaving in a more socially appropriate way.
For children who are visual learners, acting out scenarios with paper dolls often works like magic to resolve behavior problems. Using family dolls, the child can see what a new behavior would look like and see him or herself behaving in a new way. Like all visual supports, children need to be at the Language Partner Stage to understand the symbolic nature of visual representation. See this explanation of Developmental Levels.
Going where you have never been. Doing what you have never done.
In the sidebar you will see a doll with my face on it. I borrowed a body from Arthur's mom on this website. Usually, I cut out a paper doll from simple construction paper. Or I just take a picture of each family member (standing the same distance away from the camera so everyone looks the right size in relation to each other).
I often laminate these dolls. Perhaps put them on tongue depressor sticks so that they are easier to use and have a longer lifespan. The dolls are much stronger printed on card stock or with a card stock backing.
These doll people can do anything that you might want your child to learn to do.
Teach your child to ask dad to play ...
Your child's doll says, Daddy, I want to swing (You can talk for your child's paper doll).
The Daddy Doll says, Yes! Come on! Then you put your child's paper doll into a real blanket that the real Daddy and Mommy swing back and forth for a few minutes. You model asking and swinging several times if need be.
You get the idea. It is now possible to show your child how a game or activity works.
An example
Recently, the mother of a little girl who loves trains told me she used family dolls to help her daughter imagine getting into any color train car at the local zoo train.
Her daughter loves the little train that scoots around the zoo but she has shown a strong preference for the green car.
This mom took 8" X 10" photos of the little train and the station where one buys tickets for the train.
In doll form, she and her daughter pretended to wait and wait and wait to buy a ticket and they waited and waited and waited to get on the train.
Then their doll family tried out the yellow train car on their pretend trip. Next, they waited for and took the blue car.
With imaginary practice, the real little passenger was able to contemplate riding on all the different color cars. The next time that they went to the zoo and rode the train, this little girl had no trouble riding on the yellow car. Here she is riding the yellow car.
