TEACCH At Home:
Work Routine

Goal:  Your child will learn to get and complete his or her own work.

Materials:  Work baskets, "finished" basket.

Stimuli:  You say "_______, time to work."

When working with your child, set aside separate areas for "work" and "play." This will help the child to understand what is expected of him or her. Using our basket system will also help the child understand what to do.  For now, simply place each task in a work basket of its own. Have each of the work baskets on your child's left and the "finished" basket on his or her right. This system will help prepare the child for our process of working from left to right.

For each task, remove the materials from the work basket and place them on the table. Only have out the materials needed for the step you are on. Keep your work area neat, with other materials you need at hand (i.e. reinforcers) out of his line of vision.  As each task is completed, say "All done" and place it in the finished basket.

When it is time to work, say "_______(child's name), time to work" and lead the child to the work area. When he needs a break, say "_______(child's name), time to play" and lead the child to the play area. Try to complete the current task before taking a break. Also, try to keep the child seated until you give a verbal cue to play. As much as possible, try to isolate the concept you would like the child to learn. Keep language to a minimum so the child can really focus on the key concepts.  Each program is written to isolate the skills we would like to have the child aquire. If it seems as if the tasks require other skills that he or she does not have, the program will need to be revised. Be consistent, using the exact same words for verbal prompts as you work from session to session.
 

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All rights reserved. Updated November 2, 1999. Homeschooling Kids With Disabilities http://www.members.tripod.com/~Maaja/index.html