function of objects: what objects are used for

Why learn about functions in speech therapy and ABA?

Everything and everyone we interact with, we do for a specific reason. It’s important for children to understand what objects are used for, especially children on the Autism spectrum or those with learning disabilities. Teaching functions brings many benefits:

it expands the vocabulary,
it improves conversation skills
and establishes, in the child’s mind, connections between objects and people.

How can ABA help acquire the language of functions?

The first step in learning functions was the sorting activity. The teaching procedure of ABA dictated that the level of difficulty should increase gradually. So we start by asking the student to select or label an item among 3. but by the end of the learning process, the child should be able to select or label two or more items among 7.

The student is expected to point to or name objects when given the function depending on the level of speech he is currently at:

for a nonverbal child, we expect that he shows the items on the task card when given the function.
for a verbal child that has a good vocabulary and a good understanding of functions, we expect that he labels or names the items when given the function.

What are some examples of functions of objects?

Here are 35 functions of objects that children use most often:

eat, eat with
drink
wear
drive
read
listen
write, draw
play
swim
brush
see
cook with, cook on
sit
clean
sleep
watch
cut.
jump
slide
swing
shower
climb
dig
glue
sing
erase
lock
wash
light
print
whistle
freeze in

For each one of these functions, the child answers the question: “which one do you … ?”. Example: which one do you eat with ? which one do you swim with?

How to teach children to answer questions about functions?

In order to introduce the activity, you can follow these steps:

Print and laminate the activity file (at the bottom of this page), then cut the different boards or task cards,
Ask the question on the task card and let the child either label or show you the answer, depending on his level. There are two types of task cards included in the activity :
- Choosing or naming an item with a specific function among 3 (see the file below)
- Choosing naming an item with a specific function among 5 (see the file below)
- Choosing naming 2 or 3 items with a specific function among 7 (see the file below)

Reinforce or correct the answer, if necessary, using the ABA procedure.

Examples of questions on the functions of objects

Which one do you slide on, a cup of coffee, a slide, or a salad?
Which one do you jump on, a car, a trampoline, or headphones?
Which one do you read, a book, jeans, or earphones?
Which one do you swing on, a swing, a highlighter, glasses?
Which one do you wear, a dress, markers, or a swimming board?
Which one do you swim with, newspapers, water wings, or tajine?
Which one do you eat, a salad, a truck, or sunglasses?
Which one do you drink, a cooking pot, building blocks, or juice?
Which one do you see with, a shirt, sunglasses, or a bassinet?
Which one do you cook on, a stovetop, a stool, or socks?
Which one do you use to sing, books, a water bottle, or a microphone?
Which one do you brush with, a chair, a hairbrush, or a pillow?
Which one do you clean with, a dustpan and brush set, a cap, or a life jacket?
Which one do you sleep on, a bed, an apple, or a chair?
Which one do you watch on, a salad, a tablet, or dish soap?
Which one do you cut with, headphones, or scissors, or TV?
Which one do you glue with, a pen, a lifejacket, glue, an apple, or juice?
Which one do you cook with, goggles, a coat, a broom, a bunk bed, or a pot?
Which one do you use to whisle, books, a whistle, a shirt, water bottles, or a sweeper?
Which one do you erase with, a chair, a brush, an eraser, a bassinet, or a blouse?
Which one do you freeze in, a brush, a pen, scissors, a freezer, or a pizza?
Which one do you shower with, a bed, juice, a cleaver, a cake, or a shower head?
Which one do you watch on, a salad, a tv, a soda bottle, a stool or a pen?
Which one do you lock with, a key, flipflops, socks, oranges, or a water bottle?