Faith Heart Magazine Prophetess Trish M. | Page 10

EXPRESSIVE
SKILLS
Many children with special needs are now
branching out and broadening their horizons.
 They are being mainstreamed into curricular
activities, community events, faith-based
encounters with Christmas plays, Girl Scouts,
Boy Scouts, etc.  Therefore, we must know the 5
basic rules to assist the child in ensuring their
positive involvement and active participation.
Rule #1:
 Don’t Yell at the Child When Giving
Directions
Often times, people resort to yelling and/or
utilizing an increased audible voice when they
see the child struggling to implement their
presented instructions.  STOP.  The child is not
deaf or hard-of-hearing.  They simply have
problems processing the verbally presented
information and correctly executing your
request(s).  Instead, use fewer words and
rephrase your instructions.  Also, include visual
prompts as a form of assistance to help the
child implement your command.  For example,
if your request was to “Decorate your flower
and punch a hole in it so we can hang it from
the ceiling.” This statement may be too wordy.
 Instead, provide 1-step instructions and say,
“We are going to decorate our flowers.  Or else
ask, “Would you like to color or draw on your
pedals?” Then proceed to the next step.  
Rule #2:
 Provide Tons of Verbal Praise  
Children with special needs are often 
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