Teaching Strategies for
Visually Learning Language

Children with autism and other auditory problems have difficulty learning language by listening. Although hearing acuity may be normal, strings of verbal messages are difficult to decipher. Learning language visually is the best way to teach.

The best way to start is with activities that are three dimensional. Children who need lots of hands on practice will benefit the most. Activities can be designed using common objects that can be inexpensively purchased at discount stores.

Here are some examples:

	Put large and small spatulas in a container. Teach the child to sort big and little. If the child is nonverbal, add a linguistic respresentation (picture) to the written word.
Another task to teach big and little using big crayons and little crayons.
	Here is a task to teach sorting two colors. It will also work on fine motor as the child has to manipulate the clothespin.
Once the child has two colors, add a third. Also use different types of items so the child doesn't attach the word meaning to the item instead of the attribute.
For more pictures and ideas, visit the Preschool Fun website
If three dimensional objects are not needed, you can visually teach language using pictures. You can design them using clipart. Here are few examples that you can download.
	Download "Find the things that are red."
Download "Find the pictures that show behind".

More downloads:

Outside and Inside
Hot and Cold
Rhyming Match
Go Together Match