Tips and Tricks: How To Use Generalization to Increase Speech
To be most successful, therapy needs to extend beyond the clinic or iPad screen and reach into everyday life.
One of the best ways to bring therapy into normal activities is called generalization. This is when you, the parent or teacher, point out items or sounds learned in therapy sessions and use them in normal conversation.
For example, if your son has been learning the word “bus” in therapy, and you see a bus approaching from down the street, you can point and say, “Bus!” repeatedly. The same goes for spotting an apple in a grocery store, or a cat while out on a walk.
Here’s a tip for generalization: Don’t bury the word you are teaching under a bunch of other words. Rather than saying, “Look, a bus is coming down the road and is probably carrying lots of people,” keep it simple and just repeat the word “bus.” The student is much more likely to make the connection and remember the word on his or her own next time.
You can also practice generalization by looking through family photos, browsing through a toy catalog, or narrating a favorite book.
Generalizing helps individuals make the connection between what they are learning in the clinical setting and what everyday life is like. It also helps them master new words and the sounds needed to make those words. Generalization will encourage individuals, especially those with autism, to keep their active networks engaged and stay involved in our world rather than “stimming” in theirs.
Generalization helps children learn conversational speech, learn the appropriate use of new words, and can make therapy sessions more interesting and relevant.
People who use Gemiini often incorporate generalization and encourage their kids to make the connections between the videos and their lives at home. Used correctly and in conjunction with other therapy tools, Gemiini can lead to overwhelming success in a child’s language and social development.
Please schedule a free call with a Gemiini Coach if you have any questions or need help integrating generalization into your routine!