Our word of the week is MORE. Give your child many opportunities throughout the day to request MORE while playing or eating. Children tend to be motivated to communicate their wants during fun, playful activities that they find rewarding. Your child may communicate his or her wants through a combination of facial expressions, eye gaze, body movements, gestures, sounds, or words. When your child does or says something that you interpret as a request for MORE, you can comment “MORE” or “I want MORE” and pair it with a MORE picture symbol to reinforce your child’s intentional communication. Please see the following examples…

• TOYS: If your child enjoy’s stacking blocks, only give her a few blocks at a time. If, for example, she uses eye gaze to communicate, when she looks back and forth from the blocks to you, give her a few MORE blocks, say “MORE” and point to the MORE symbol on the communication board.
• ACTIVITIES: If your child enjoy’s throwing a ball and watching you retrieve it, pause before giving the ball back to him. If, for example, he uses vocalizations to communicate and says “ma”, give the ball back to him, say “MORE”, “MORE ball” or “I want MORE ball” and point to the MORE symbol on the communication board.
• FOOD: During snacks or meals only give your child a small amount of food or drink at a time. If, for example, she uses gestures to communicate and points to a bag of crackers when she finishes her bite, give her a few more crackers, say “MORE” and point to the MORE symbol on the communication board.