Cultivating Your Autistic Child’s Questioning Skills

Introduction

Encouraging your child to ask questions is a valuable skill that fosters curiosity and aids in their overall development. Instead of relying solely on rote learning, leverage everyday situations to create engaging scenarios that motivate your child’s questioning skills to seek information or items they desire.

In many conversations, parents often take the lead by asking questions, leaving the child in a passive role. If you find this dynamic, your child may struggle with initiating questions, particularly children with autism who tend to ask fewer questions. However, improving their questioning skills is essential for filling knowledge gaps and enhancing their learning experiences.

Start with Wh-questions (who, what, when, where, why, how), as they provide a structured foundation. Ensure your child can answer similar questions before teaching them to ask. Make the process interactive by introducing scenarios that are naturally reinforcing and contextually relevant.

Strategies for Teaching Wh-questions:

1. ‘What’ questions:
   Place favored items in an opaque bag, prompting your child to ask, “What’s that?” as you reveal each item. Turn it into a game until they can spontaneously ask without prompts. Gradually introduce new items without the bag, reinforcing their ability to inquire about unknown objects.
2. ‘Who’ questions:
   Involve friends and family in an activity where they knock on the door and announce a present. Prompt your child to ask, “Who is it?” as they anticipate the giver. Fade off the prompt gradually, allowing them to ask the question upon hearing a knock.
3. ‘Where’ questions:
   Hide necessary items for enjoyable activities, and encourage your child to ask, “Where is the __?” when they realize something is missing. For instance, hide paintbrushes when they want to paint.
4. ‘How’ questions:
   Provide a toy with unfamiliar mechanisms or place favorite items in a box with a hidden opening. Prompt your child to ask, Encourage your child to inquire, “What’s the method for using this?” before guiding them through the process.
5. ‘When’ questions:
   Plan a desired activity without specifying when it will occur. Encourage your child to inquire, “When will we be engaging in this activity?” Opt for activities that don’t have a set schedule in their routine to boost motivation.
6. ‘Why’ questions:
   Perform unusual actions to capture their attention, prompting them to ask, “Why are you doing that?” Ensure your actions have a purpose, such as placing items in unusual locations, and provide relevant explanations.

Conclusion

By integrating these strategies into daily life, your child gains more questioning skills in natural contexts. This approach not only helps them learn when to ask each type of question but also increases the likelihood of spontaneous communication in various settings. Through these simple yet effective techniques, you can empower your child to initiate questions and understand their importance in diverse situations.

Source

1. Leong, Dawn-Joy. “Autism and the Kaleidoscope of Curiosity.” Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, vol. 33, no. 2, 2020, pp. 145-159.
2. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. “Encouraging Communication: Teaching Your Child to Ask Questions.” ASHA.org, https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/Encouraging-Communication/.
3. American Psychological Association. (2020). Teaching Children to Ask Questions. https://www.apa.org/education/k12/ask-questions