Vehicle Play
- Initial Target: Learner will push the car or train and make the appropriate sound.
This is easiest taught to a learner with some imitation skills using the teaching technique of modeling. If pushing a car around, say "Vrrrrm, Vrrrrrm" and encourage the learner to do the same.
- Second Target: Learner will interact with obstructions in the vehicles path.
As you set up obstacles in the path, encourage the learner to crash into them, making appropriate sounds. Set toy animals, other vehicles and blocks in the direct path of your learner's vehicle and encourage him or her to say, "Move!" or "Get out of the way!"
- Third Target: Learner will communicate with animals or action figures placed in his path.
Place animals in and near your learner's play area. Have the animals or action figures block the way of the vehicle and say simple things to your learner. For example, a cow may say "Moo!" and "Hi there. Can I play?" Or "I'm hungry! I want to eat. I'm going to find some grass." Encourage your learner to respond to the figures as if they were real.
- Final Target: Learner will manipulate the vehicle and provide "voice" to his vehicle while talking to another toy.
Whereas the last target involved the learner and the toy talking, this target involves encouraging the learner to pretend that his toy is talking to your toy, and manipulating the toys to attend to each other's conversation. The learner can provide a normal voice or even better, a character voice. He should be making his toy talk to the other toy, in a play conversation. The "face" of his vehicle should be attending to the "face" of the other toy--with the toy moving appropriately as it speaks. Note: It helps to use vehicles which have faces, such as the toy vehicles sold at Chevron gas stations, or the Bob the Builder toys, for example. A play conversation may sound something like this, "Hello, Mr. Car." "Hello, Cow." "How are you today?" "My tummy hurts." "Oh, no. Are you OK?" "No, I think I need some medicine. Will you get me some?" "Yes, here it is." This is a chance to practice conversational skills in a social setting. This will demonstrate pretend play, imagination, conversational (intraverbal) skills and theory of mind development.