More on thinking skills-situations and questions.

A child, who undergoes therapy, be it formal or informal sessions needs to be asked questions in a different manner. No child likes to feel as if he/she is being tested. To allow the child to be his/her natural self the therapist/parent needs to make sure the child is not feeling threatened or uncomfortable.

One can start the process of looking at picture cards and asking questions in a fun way. Gradually with time, pick up the tempo and move on the areas that interest the child. In Anandita’s case, her interest was movies, music, her sister and family. So build your questions around the interests. Try and ask them when you are in the car, or in the kitchen cooking or while in bed. Encourage the child to ask you similar questions so that it becomes a game. The funny answers can keep you in splits and without knowing; a lot would have been learnt.

Some examples.

(1) Your friend called and wants you to go to the beach. What should you not wear?
(Usually one would ask the question what should you wear. Instead here the child is asked what should you NOT wear. This is a different way of putting an ordinary question to a child which will enable the child to think differently.)The answers could be –Party dress, warm clothes, nightsuit.


(2) Your sister has dirty shoes. What should she not do?
Enter the living room with shoes

(3)You want to play outdoors. What would you not play? (Carom, chess, snakes and ladders)

(4)The teacher wants you to write numbers 1 to 10.What number will you NOT write?)Answer 11 or 12 etc)

(5)You lost your favorite toy. What will you do next? (Search for it, ask for help to find it)

(6)Your shoes are too small. What will your mom do? (Buy a new shoe).

(7)I had a headache. Now it’s gone. What did i do? (Took some medicine, saw a doctor, and slept)

(8) Dad didn’t go to work today. Where was he? (The answer would be at home or as my daughter sweetly answered-he would be at home watching TV)

(9)How can you tell if the lamp needs a new bulb?

(10)How can you tell if your friend is wearing a new dress?

(11) Mom is toasting bread and says we need to fix this. What would have happened?

The list can be endless but once your child gets the gist,he/she will understand the questions-how,what,when,why,which and what can happen in each situations.I found this an incredible way to spark Anandita's imagination.