Information carrying words (ICWs) provide a structure which helps us to control the number of words in a sentence that a child has to understand in order to carry out the instruction. Your speech and language therapist will have assessed the level of ICWs that your child is currently able to understand at, so that then their understanding can be improved in small, achievable steps.

An ICW is a word in a sentence that carries meaning. Many words in a sentence are not needed in order for the child to understand what they need to do.

Provide a 5 key word instruction in a slow, clear voice e.g.

Draw a red circle and a small green square 1 2 3 4 5 Draw a blue triangle, a purple dot and star 1 2 3 4 5

Wave your left hand and do three star jumps 1 2 3 4 5

Record how the child responds to the instruction using the grid below.

Note: If you are asking a child to point to items as opposed to drawing/generating them, there must

be a range of items for the child to choose from (i.e. each item must be in each colour, both big and small). This is because if you ask the child for a big red square when there is only one square on the table, the child only has to understand ‘square’ to get the instruction correct, so is only following one key word and not three.

Key words can take the form of different objects, verbs (action words), prepositions (e.g. in, on, under, in front, behind, above, below, beside, etc), and other concepts can be added to the instruction to increase complexity.

The easiest instructions will be where the child is asked to point to items already in front of him. This will allow the child to visually track the items as they are being said, which is the first step

Activities to develop a child’s ability to follow instructions containing 5 information carrying words using visualisation and auditory

rehearsal strategies

in visualising. The more complex instructions will be where the child is asked to draw items, with only coloured pencils/pens and a piece of paper in front of him. The child must use auditory rehearsal (repeating the instruction back to himself) and/or visualisation (where he pictures the items in his head) to correctly complete the instruction.

The child should be encouraged to use both strategies and shown how to do them. He will naturally choose the one he prefers to use in the future. For auditory rehearsal, you repeat the instruction over and over and get the child to join in

when possible. Do this for a few instructions, then see if the child can repeat one back on his own – he may require help initially. Once the child is successfully repeating the items without needing to hear them over and over, encourage them to do so whispering/under their breath/in their head.

For visualisation, encourage the child to imagine the objects as if they were a photo, or imagine the actions as if it were on a video.

Record grid for five keywords: Read each instruction – tick words the child responds to and record any substitutions or omissions they make below each keyword. Make up other instructions.

For objects (selection of colour and size compare bear style animals) – “pick up… and… “

1 2 3 4 5two Yellow cows, red pig

blue sheep, three big ducks

small horse, two blue rabbits

green pig, small orange horse

Drawing (have different colours available, and perhaps some shapes to copy) – “Draw… and… “

1 2 3 4 5three Yellow circles red line

blue Triangle three purple squares

orange Dot two blue rectangles

green Line small orange circle