Attention Autism is an intervention approach by Speech and Language Therapist Gina Davies which aims to work on the early fundamentals of language including awareness of others, attention, listening, shared attention, switching attention and turn-taking. It supports all learners that are working on these specific skills, not just those diagnosed with Autism.
The format for the session works in up to 4 stages. You start children at Stage 1 and build up to all 4 stages as they progress. My class are up to 3 stages.
Stage 1: Attention Grabber / Bucket
Stage 2: Attention Builder
Stage 3: Shifting Attention / Turn Taking
In this blog I will share links to what I have included in my session this week;
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Stage 1
I always pick three items from the bucket that will grab my student’s interest and attention in this section.
1. Dinosaur Popper (purchase here)
2. Frog Wind-up Toy (purchase here)
3. Touchable Bubbles (Purchase here)
Stage 2
This section is all about supporting your students to hold attention.
I built a tower using magna-tiles- then pushed down on the top and it breaks really easily.
(Tune: Wheels on the bus) "This is the way we build a tower, all day long....
Once the tower was quickly constructed, we said "ready steady..." and hoped the child said or gestured go so i could break the tower again. We did this three times.
The kids absolutely loved it! A fast firm favourite!
Stage 3
This section is about supporting your students to shift focus from one person to another an back again. It also involves turn taking practise and waiting for your turn.
This week I used this gorgeous cause and effect toy I like to call 'rainbow stacking toy'
I tipped the wand of rainbow gears up one way so they span off and fell all over the floor "oh no, broken. Help fix it!"
I modelled, but having my turn first, my students waited with ‘wait’ visuals in front of each of them. One by one i offered my students the ‘my turn’ visual.
We finish our session by all signing and singing the finishing song, before I ask them to check their schedules and we move on.
Find over one-hundred more of my recommended Attention Autism Resources here