Helping Autistic Children Respond to Questions:

There are many times throughout the day that we ask other people questions and need to respond to other people’s questions.  However, autistic children who are just learning to communicate with those around them may struggle with this skill.  They may be uninterested in responding or they may not realize that a response is expected.  We can help these children improve their ability to respond to questions in speech/language therapy.

Speech/Language Therapy for Autism Course

Speech/Language Therapy for Autism Course

Learn how to improve communication skills for autistic children

Overview of helping an autistic child respond to questions:

How to Help an Autistic Child Respond to Questions

  1. Start with simple yes/no questions about his favorite topic.  Use “is this ___” for favorite characters, objects, etc.  For example, show him a picture of a car and say “Is this a car?” or “Is this a snowman?”.  If the child responds verbally, repeat his answer and then praise him for his verbal response (“I like how you said ‘yes’”).  If the child does not respond verbally, prompt him with “Use your words” or “You can say ‘yes’”.  If the child doesn’t respond after that, offer some sort of tangible reinforcement for his verbal response (“If you want the cookie, you need to answer my question.  Say ‘yes’”).  Fade back the use of tangible reinforcements as soon as possible.
  2. Once the child can answer basic yes/no questions verbally, move to basic “what” questions like “What’s this” and “What is he doing?”  Again, use highly motivating pictures or objects at first to peak his interest.  Use the same method of prompting for verbal responses as above.
  3. Keep moving through new question forms in this way.  Practice each new question form in therapy during structured activities and then encourage the parents to require a verbal response to those types of questions at home, as well.  Make sure that everyone has consistent expectations for the child to speak in response to those questions that you have worked on in therapy.  I would suggest working on questions in this order: yes/no, what, who, where, why, when, how.
Speech/Language Therapy for Autism Course

Speech/Language Therapy for Autism Course

Learn how to improve communication skills for autistic children

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.

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