What Can You Do With A Box Contest Winner!

Our three judges picked a winner today of the October box contest.

The winning game was created by Tracy, Communication Sciences and Disorders Major, at the University of Minnesota in Duluth

We chose Tracy's game because it was a simple pragmatic game of learning to choose or refuse appropriately. A game for learning how to choose and refuse is a very good objective for a child who has autism. Tracy's game also includes a reason that the child would continue looking in each of the openings of the box as the spinner that Tracy described has several colored tops and one windup piece. The Turbo Tower Tops toy, by-the-way, is a good bet as a holiday gift for a child with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Here is Tracy's idea:

I would use this box for a client with a language disorder. Make sure you have toys that the child is interested in, and preferably one that requires more than one piece to make it work. For example, a spinner with spinner heads and the base you need to make them spin. I would also have objects that the client does not like. Put these objects randomly in each hole of the box and close the door. For them to see what is inside, they would need to request it to be opened. Only open it to the first hole. Maybe it has a spinner or maybe it is something they don’t enjoy. They can either take the toy, or decline it. If it is the spinner which they enjoy, they will probably take it. But, since it needs the base for it to work, you need to keep going. Therefore, the child needs to request the door to be opened further. Let’s say now there is a toy they don’t like. You can try to give it to them until they say “no thanks” or whatever goal is being worked on with that child. It may just be a push of the hand, or it could be a full length “no thanks, I do not like that toy,” it depends on the severity of the language disorder and the particular client. Keep going until you get to the end and/or find all the pieces required to make the toy work. This activity allows for the client to request, express wants, needs, likes, dislikes all in one.