How to Teach Yes No Questions in Speech Therapy

Yes no questions are a common target for speech therapy sessions because once a child can answer yes no questions, you will be able to get more information to find out what they are trying to communicate to you. This can be incredibly helpful to reduce frustration caused when a child is trying to tell you something but can’t be understood.

Here are some activities that can help you teach a child how to answer yes no questions. Make sure that the child is very good at each step before you move on to the next one. This make take some time to teach and practice but it will completely be worth your time!

yes no therapy kit

No-Prep Kit for Yes/No Questions

Teach a child how to answer yes/no questions

Yes No Questions Speech Therapy Step 1:
Do You Want it? (Yes)

To do speech therapy for yes no questions, we start with something that is very motivating to them.  Show the child something you know he likes, such as bubbles or a favorite snack. Then, ask the child, “Do you want ____?” (Fill in the blank).

If the child shows you that he wants it (by reaching for it or repeating the word), model “yes” for the child to imitate. You can do this by having him say the word yes or by nodding his head up and down. As the child gets better at this, try just nodding your head to remind him instead of saying the word “yes” for him to imitate each time.

If the child is not yet communicating with words or a head nod, you can also use pictures of “yes” and “no” (such as a green check and red X) and have the child touch or hand you the correct picture instead.

Yes No Questions Speech Therapy Step 2:
Do You Want it? (No)

Start with the above activity. When the child is consistently answering yes, try offering something that you know she would answer “no” to. For example, if you’re playing with bubbles and the child is consistently answering “yes”, now switch it up and offer something uninteresting, like a small scrap of paper: “Do you want paper?” Model “no” just like as described above with yes. Say “No, no paper” and switch back to the one you know she likes: “Do you want bubbles?”

The next step: Once you’ve practiced helping her say “no”, try to get her to answer without your help. If she still says “yes”, say “yes, yes paper” and hand her the uninteresting object. She will probably be confused because that wasn’t really what she wanted. When she discards it or hands it back to you, say “oh! No, no paper” and switch back to offering the preferred object.

For some children, you may have to go a step farther by making the “no” object something they really don’t enjoy.  Don’t offer something that will cause the child to have a meltdown, but if there is a food the child doesn’t like or a toy/object that he doesn’t like, you can use this for your “no” item.  This will create a stronger reaction in the child which may generate the push you need to get him/her to say “no”.

Yes No Questions Speech Therapy Step 3:
Basic Wants and Needs

Before moving on to this step, make sure your child can answer “Do you want ___” with either yes or no depending on if she actually wants it (make sure she’s not just saying yes to everything). Once your child can do that, try using other questions about her basic wants and needs. 

Basic Yes No Question Examples:

  • Can I have…
  • Do you need help?
  • Are you ready?
  • Do we go this way?  (when trying to get to where the child wants to go)
  • Are you hungry?
  • Are you thirsty?
  • Do you need to go to the bathroom?
  • Are you wet?
  • Are you dirty?
  • Are you done?
  • Do you want more?

Yes No Questions Speech Therapy Step 4:
Identification Questions

Once the child can answer yes no questions about his/her basic wants and needs, try asking questions about what things are called. For this activity, show the child an object or a picture and say “Is this a ___?” Use the correct name for the item sometimes and say the wrong word other times. Help the child answer either “yes” or “no”.

If the child is struggling to identify what things are called, you may need to go back and work on vocabulary first.  Click here to view our resources on teaching vocabulary words.

Yes No Questions Speech Therapy Step 5:
Mixed and More Complex Questions

Now that the child is answering these basic yes/no questions, you can start asking other yes/no questions throughout the day.  You can also start asking more complex questions.  Help the child remember to answer with yes/no when you ask.  Keep data on what types of yes/no questions the child is still struggling with so you can continue to provide practice for unfamiliar questions.

For more ideas of yes/no questions to ask in speech therapy, download our question pack here.

How to Help a Child with Autism Respond to Yes No Questions

Children with autism sometimes have additional difficulty with answering questions.  They may not understand that the question requires a response at all.  Or, they may not know how to answer once the question is asked.  For more ideas on helping children with autism respond to questions, click here.

Additional Resources for Yes No Questions Speech Therapy

Check out our additional resources for working with children who are struggling to answer yes no questions.

yes no therapy kit

No-Prep Kit for Yes/No Questions

Teach a child how to answer yes/no questions

Asking and Answering Questions Course

Asking and Answering Questions Course

Course on how to teach children to ask and answer questions

Free Therapy Materials for Teaching Questions:

Check out the freebies that we have inside our Free Therapy Material Library!

Where Questions Speech Therapy Activities

Where Questions File Folder Game

Spatial Concepts Speech Therapy Activities

Where Does it Go File Folder Game

When Questions speech therapy game

“When” Questions File Folder Game

Carrie Clark, Speech-Language Pathologist

About the Author: Carrie Clark, MA CCC-SLP

Hi, I’m Carrie! I’m a speech-language pathologist from Columbia, Missouri, USA. I’ve worked with children and teenagers of all ages in schools, preschools, and even my own private practice. I love digging through the research on speech and language topics and breaking it down into step-by-step plans for my followers.

Fun Fact: When I worked in a special education preschool, I was amazed at how much I learned from the other professionals on my team.  I learned more from the special educators, OTs, PTs, behavior specialists, etc. than I ever could have in grad school.  It’s never a wasted effort to build relationships with the people around you!

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