People often ask us: "How do I get to open ended?!"

Two things will help...

1) Doing longer lessons will help you build up momentum.

• Think about communication like riding a bike. It takes time before you can take off the training wheels. You have to build up to that point. When you do remove the training wheels, you are right there to support your child if they begin to get off balance. A longer lesson helps you be there to build up their flow and confidence so that when you do remove the training wheels, they are in the zone and ready to go!
• You will notice in this lesson how we build up the challenge levels. We offer lots of questions. Just because a question is there, doesn't mean you have to ask it. We encourage you to ask as many questions as possible to really make the best of your time together. However, your student may become dysregulated so always do what is best in the moment to maintain balance.

2) Utilizing different question types is key.

• We want to help our students practice accessing information from deep inside their brain and to get that info out.
• We start with questions that elicit one possible response so we can build accuracy.
• Once accuracy strengthens, we can offer more than one possible correct response. This helps them think of two possible correct answers, pick one, and get that info out. We will gradually up the challenge by expanding the number of correct possibilities in a question.
• Another way to expand is to ask a question that we didn't just talk about in the lesson. It will be related in some way to the topic, but that info lives deeper inside your student's brain. These questions help them think of an answer that you didn't just say, and get it out.

All of these ways will help you and your student work toward more open communication. It takes practice so keep at it!