Helpful Hints on Offering Children Choices

Helpful Hints on Offering Children Choices

One way to reduce challenging behavior is to allow a young child to make choices among activities, materials, snacks, play partners, and many other possibilities. Here are 6 tips to remember when offering children choices:

1. Choices should be offered immediately before an activity that has been associated with challenging behavior.
2. Offer only two or three possible selections for a child to choose from. Too many options can be overwhelming to young children.
3. Choices may need to be presented in a variety of ways (e.g., pictures, talking devices, objects) to ensure children with all abilities can make meaningful choices. Many young children require visual cues in order to make accurate choices.
4. Remember that some children may not know how to make choices and will need some careful instruction from an adult before the choice-making procedure can be effective.