What are Transactional Supports?

Transactional Supports is a term that the authors of the SCERTS® Model created. Transactional supports are the supports WE provide our children to help them: understand, use verbal language, use social communication skills and more!

Some examples are:
1) Music

2) Breaking down your language

3) Routines

4) Contextual Cues

5) Visuals

What Transactional Supports help my child?

Typically all of the above listed supports help ALL children; however, they especially help children with Autism Spectrum Disorders or children at risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

The best thing is to KNOW YOUR CHILD. Some children are very musical: you will find them making up songs by themselves or humming songs, you may found your child singing songs all day long! This means that they are musical and that music will generally help them!

Really the key is to provide them with everything and capitalize on the one that helps them the most. Knowing what transactional supports help your child will not only help you and them, but will also help new people in their lives (i.e., teachers, new therapists, etc.) so that they may build a relationship faster!

How do I use Transactional Supports?

When?
-Learning academics
-Learning language
-Learning life skills
-Learning social skills
-Learning LIFE

ALL DAY LONG EVERY DAY

How?

You want to use your child’s transactional supports within all of their environments in order for them to have the most effect on your child. We suggest:
1) Each child carries a backpack with them everywhere that has a communication binder inside: this binder should be supplied with important visual transactional supports. For each child this is different.
2) As parents, you take control over your child’s learning by:
a. Making a list of the T.S. (either alone or with your speech therapist/teacher) that work best for your child and that you are currently using and provide an updated list to all the people in your child’s life once a month or once every two months.
b. If you are not happy with the way someone in your child’s life is using/not using their T.S., then let them know ASAP and make appropriate changes.
c. Hold a meeting either all together (this is preferred) or separate with each therapist/teacher/caregiver/etc. that interacts with your child once a month or once every two months to discuss your child’s T.S., emotional regulation, social communication skills and more!

MUSIC:
1) Start by singing the T.S. song during the entire activity the first few times
2) Next you want to sing the song at the beginning of the activity and then within the activity if your child is having difficulties
3) Next you want to say the phrase you are enforcing first, then sing the song at the beginning and then within the activity if your child is having difficulties
4) Last you want to just say the phrase and sing the song if your child has difficulties

**Remember every child is different and each child is different when working on different skills (i.e., social, life, academic, etc.). Some children may move fast and some may move slow.
**Remember that children perform best in their most familiar environment and with their most familiar people. So they may have a skill down but when you change their environment and/or people, you may have to start at the beginning again. But this time you know what they need to succeed!

VISUALS

VISUALS ROCK!!!

At KidSpeak, LLC we use visuals for everything because our children THINK in visuals. We feel our job is to give each child the supports that they need to succeed! This does change over time! When working with visuals, here are a few key elements:
1) Use them as a Bi-Modal way of communicating
2) Point
3) Use your words
4) Think about what your child understands
5) Use them everywhere for everything
6) Change them when your child is ready

This is just a glimpse on Transactional Supports and how they can help your child. The key is to know your child and your family and create Transactional Supports that are individualized to help your child and your family succeed. To learn more about Transactional Supports, visit the KidSpeak, LLC website www.kidspeakdallas.com as well as the SCERTS® website! http://www.scerts.com

Remember to keep Transactional Supports fun!

Amanda & Laura
KidSpeak, LLC
www.kidspeakdallas.com