Knowing personal information is a critical life skill to incorporate into speech therapy and the special education classroom! All children must know their basic information in case of an emergency or separation from a caregiver. Our students with autism may have a more difficult time memorizing and giving this information. Try incorporating different learning and generalization strategies to help them!
What personal information should every child know?
- Name – full name!
- Caregiver name(s)
- Phone number(s)
- Address
What other personal information is good to know?
- Age
- Birthday
- School name
- Teacher’s name
I’ve picked up some tricks and ways I teach this information to students. Generalization is key since they might need to give this information under different circumstances to different people. Ask the questions in different forms, different locations, and using different people. Review these questions constantly to ensure the child knows the answers.
ASK DIFFERENT WAYS
Ask the questions in other ways! Not everyone is going to phrase a question the same way. Be sure to switch things up, so the child has not memorized an answer to a question phrased in a specific way. For example, “What is your address?” or “Where do you live?” or “What city do you live in?”
USE DIFFERENT METHODS
Students should respond in as many formats as they are capable: speaking, writing, and typing. Create different activities for your students to respond to the questions. Have your students practice writing their answers down or filling out forms on paper and online.
Tip: Create a google form for your students to type their answers!
HAVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE ASK THE QUESTIONS
This will help the child generalize the information and practice telling unfamiliar adults.
REVIEW THE INFORMATION CONSISTENTLY
This is a skill that should be continuously reviewed! As the child gets older, add more information for them to memorize, perhaps additional phone numbers or a grandparent’s address.
Personal Information for Older Students
Older students and teens should understand what an identification card is, the information on it, and where to find theirs. Older students should have a school ID or other form of identification. Practice filling out information common on forms – such as gender, middle name, personal phone number, and the state and country they live.
Activity pictured in this post: All About Me Personal lnformation
Do you have tips for teaching personal information to children?
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