Getting something pleasurable repeated is one of the first experiences your child may have in connecting his or her behavior to your behavior. In the next section, you will learn a strategy to help you encourage your child to ask for an interaction to be repeated or to ask for “more” of something.

The first step in this process is to engage your child in a highly preferred activity or interaction.   For example, if your child likes to “swing” then that might be an activity that you use as a starting point for encouraging your child to ask that an action be repeated. You would begin by swinging your child for a period of time. The period of time will depend upon the activity but it is usually fairly short.  You then insert a “pause” into the routine.  A “pause” is a critical factor in an interaction or activity in that it allows your child an opportunity to indicate that he or she would like the interaction or activity to continue. Your child might smile, vocalize or look at you. You will infer that this behavior is a signal that your child wants the interaction to continue. Your immediate response to your child’s behavior helps him or her make the connection between what he or she does and what happens next.  Even though a child may initially be responding to the “pause,” with repeated opportunities, your child can learn to produce the signal with the intent of asking you to repeat the interaction or activity.

Click here to view a step-by-step example (communication script) of asking for "more."

The amount of “pause” time will be different for each child. It will depend on several factors including how motivating an interaction or activity is for your child and how easy it is for him or her to physically make a response. Pause time can be anywhere from 10-15 seconds up to several minutes. As adults, we are not use to pausing so ten seconds can feel like a very long time. Be patient!

In the following video clip watch Dee Ann and see if you can tell how North indicates that he wants her to continue the “tossing game,” one of his favorite activities.  Then watch the same clip again and listen to a description of the interaction.

It is also important to recognize that as your child is learning to become a more intentional communicator you may need to give him or her some gentle prompts to encourage a response. For example, if North does not vocalize after a tickling interaction Dee Ann will encourage him to do so by repositioning him or wiggling his legs.  In the next video clip, watch Dee Ann use a gentle prompt with North.

Repetition may also take the form of expressing a desire for “more” of something, such as wanting more juice to drink. This kind of a request will usually come after a portion of an item has been consumed or used and your child wants an additional portion.  The trick here is to create the opportunity for your child to request “more” of something. For example, you might give your child only a small drink of juice so he or she must do something to get more juice (e.g.,vocalize, raise an arm, lean towards the cup).  Inserting a “pause” into the routine is, again, very important. What does your child do to indicate that he or she wants “more” of the item?