Attention Autism Bucket Time Ideas

Attention Autism

Bucket Time Ideas

Attention Autism is an intervention model designed by Gina Davies,

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist. It aims to develop natural

and spontaneous communication through the use of visually based

and highly motivating activities. Gina’s primary objective is that the

sessions are fun and “

offer an irresistible invitation to learn

”!

Aims of Attention Autism

1. To engage attention

2. To improve joint attention

3. To develop shared enjoyment in group activities

4. To increase attention in adult-led activities

5. To encourage spontaneous interaction in a natural group setting

6. To increase non-verbal and verbal communication

7. To build a wealth and depth of vocabulary

8. To have fun!

Stages of Attention Autism

The Attention Autism programme progresses through a series of

stages, building on each skill level. Each new stage is introduced

when the group is ready to expand attention skills. Not all stages

should be done if the child is not ready, start with stage 1 and

gradually increase when the child is ready.

Stage 1: Attention Grabber

Use bubbles to bring children to circle.

Divide a small whiteboard into three sections and draw the bucket

(“First we're doing bucket”) and the attention builder (“Then we're

doing pizza kitchen”), then the turn taking phase (‘Then it’s time for

star dust).

Sing 'What's in the bucket?' song and pull out 3 items one at a time

from the bucket- visually exciting for the children. Play with and

then put back in.

Stage 2: Attention builder:

Same attention builder every day for a week. This is something that

should hold the children’s attention for a longer period of time. This

part should be visually stimulating activities that are shown to the

group by the adult leader, aiming to sustain attention for a longer

period. The activities are fun, visually engaging and can often involve

delightful mess!

Glitter Tea cups – Shaving foam cakes, spray food colour, pebble on top for

cherry and SPLAT!

Sand storm – Have a bucket or container with coloured sand in and let it pour

into a container.

Foam Squish – Have a large ziplock bag and spray in shaving foam. Then add

different colour paint and mix them together between your hands.

Space Splat – Pour water into shot glasses and add some food colouring. Dip

cotton wool into the water and throw them onto white paper!

Growing flowers – Place a flower pot down on its side and then get some green

paint and squeeze it to make the flower stem grow! Then at the top place a fake

flower or some tissue tied to make a flower!

Stacking Cups – Use the paper cups and stack them up counting out to 10 and

then say ‘ready steady GO’ and knock them down!

Bubble Sock Have an bottle ready made with the end cut off, attach a j-cloth

to the cut end with an elastic band then dip this part into soapy water and blow

through the top of the bottle to make the bubbles come out!

Tapioca tumble

Slowly fill a long clear plastic tube with rice/any dried beans or

peas or lentils etc. Use a small plastic shot glass to fill it up. When full, slowly

tip into large black tray from a height. Variations: putting things in tray e.g.

xylophone, scrumpled parchment, drum, biscuit tins etc.

Lemonade Fountain - Large black tray. Open lemonade bottle and pour some

food colouring inside-watch it swirl down. Pour in another colour and watch

them mix. Put the lid back on firmly, shake well. Count 1..2...3...and open it-

“Lemonade fountain!”.

Spring Showers - Spread shower curtain on floor. Pour water into two clear

bottles, add blue and green food colouring to each, and pour each one into

watering can and water all over the shower curtain, (“It’s RAINING”!). Leaves

cut from tissue paper- throw them up in the air (“Spring Showers!”)

Singing in the Rain- shower curtain on floor. Pour water in bottle, add blue food

colouring, pour into watering can. Pour watering can of water over umbrella

while singing “singing in the rain”.

Moving Blobs- half fill a large (2l) clear bottle with water. Fill almost to the

top with oil (use funnel). Let them separate. Add drops of food colouring and

let them sink through the oil to mix with the water. Add pieces of Alka-Seltzer

to start the coloured blobs moving through the oil.

Wacky races – Have 3 different coloured pains and three wind-up toys on some

black paper. Put a blob of paint for each toy and let the toy go through the paint

and see who goes the furthest!

Make a face Put ribbons down on the paper and make the shape of the face,

throw feathers on to make some hair, rip and scrunch green/blue/brown paper

for 2 eyes, scrunch red paper for the nose, put red ribbon for a mouth and

make a happy face!

Car splat Squirt paint onto a large piece of paper and then roll the car through

the paint and say ‘brrrrr’’ or ‘zoom’!

Squirty butterfly Add paint to a cup, add water and mix it. Put a syringe in each

paint pot and suck up the paint in the air and say the colour. Squirt the paint

slowly into a butterfly shape, switch colour and add some patter. Fold the paper

in half and reveal the butterfly say ‘Butterfly!!’

Feather race Lay out black material/paper. Make a start line out of glitter.

Line up the feathers and say ‘On your marks, get set, GO!’ Blow the feathers

through a straw to the finish line and celebrate!

Stage 3: Turn taking

Same attention builder every day for a week. This is something that

encourages the children to take turns, only choose 2 or 3 children to

participate each time. The adult leader demonstrates a simple

activity, often modelled with another adult in the group. Some children

are then invited to have a turn but only if they are comfortable to do

so.

Pull along – Have the body board on a string/rope and pull the children to ‘This

is the way we pull ….. pull….. pull…., this is the way we pull …. PULL PULL PULL’

Foam Splat! Spray shaving foam on black paper and pour some glitter on each

pile and then get the children to splat.

Welly Walk – Have a tray of paint and the children can put on some wellies and

stamp on white paper in them.

Colour Flick – Put some food colouring and water into some shot glasses on a

shower curtain or white paper. The invite the children to come up and flick the

paint over!

Egg Splat Spray 3 piles of shaving foram onto a shower curtain and put yellow

paint on top then drop the spoon from a height as you sing ‘Izu is going to splat

the egg, splat the egg, splat the egg, Izu is going to splat the egg, Splat, splat,

splat!’

Bouncy Balls! Have a tray with white paper at the bottom of it. The have 3

different colour paints. Dip a ball into the paint and let it drop into the tray.

Watch it bounce and make a pattern!

It’s raining, it pouring! Have the child sit underneath the umbrella in the

middle and sing It’s raining, It’s pouring and spray with water

Bowling Set out the bowling pins and have three balls, you do the first one and

only knock one down. Then give two other children a turn and see who can knock

them all down!

It’s a windy day! Have the child come and sit in the middle on the chair and

give them the ribbons. Sing ‘It’s a windy day, it’s a windy day, don’t get blown

away, it’s a windy day!’ to the tune of Farmer’s in his Den.

Bubble Wrap Sing We’re hopping on the bubble wrap, the bubble wrap, the

bubble wrap, We’re hopping on the bubble wrap, pop pop pop! Each child can have

a turn hopping on bubble wrap and hear it pop!

Hi 5 Have 3 piles of shaving foam on black paper and give the child a fly swat

then invite them to come up and hi 5 the pile of foam!

Paw prints! Cut out three laminated paw prints then lay one down as each child’s

turn and give them the flour and sieve to pour over the paw then pick it up and

see the paw print!

Snowy hand Invite the child to put their hand on the black paper in front of

you and put flour in a cup and shake from a good height. Sing ‘It’s snowing on

your hand, snowing on your hand, snow, snow, snow, it’s snowing on your hand’.

Spinning queen The child sits on a chair (throne) and place a crown on top of

their head. Sing ‘Happy Birthday to the Queen, Happy Birthday to the Queen ….

Let’s go for a spin. Then spin the child around on the chair.

Fireworks Unpack the ribbons and the adult is to model wafting the ribbons up

and down saying ‘whoosh whoosh, fizz fizz!’ Then invite the child to come and

and have a go, make the noises for the child and get them to lift the ribbons up

and down.

Stage 4: Shifting & Re-engaging Attention

Stage 4 aims to develop the skill of engaging and shifting attention.

The adult leader demonstrates a simple creative task, and then gives

each child an individual kit to copy the task. The children take their

kits to a table, complete the task independently, and then everyone

returns to the group to show their completed tasks.

Information from:

http://best-practice.middletownautism.com/approaches-of-

intervention/attention-autism/