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Free printables: Listener Responding

Receptive language activities for autism you can print tonight

Receptive language is what your child understands. You say “Give me the hat” and the hat comes to you. You say “Find the one jumping” and a small finger lands on the right picture. These receptive language activities for autism are nine printable picture packs built around that one moment: your child listens, then points to or taps a picture. Speech is not required, which matters if your child says very little but understands more than most people give them credit for.

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What receptive language activities for autism look like at home

Each pack covers one topic. Your child sees a page with a few pictures. You read one short direction from the adult guide, once, in a calm voice. Your child points to or taps a picture. That is the whole response. Therapists call this receptive identification, or listener responding.

Every pack has six practice rounds, six check rounds, a separate answer guide for you and a practice log you can reuse. The guide tells you exactly what to say, so you never have to make up the wording on the spot:

  • “Give me the hat.” “Give me the chair.” (Recognize Everyday Objects)
  • “Tap the strawberry.” “Tap the blueberry.” (Recognize Fruit)
  • “Find the one clapping.” “Find the one kicking.” (Recognize Action Words)
  • “Find the bathroom.” “Find the playground.” (Recognize Places)
  • “Tap the red one.” “Tap the green one.” (Recognize Colors)

Pick the pack your child already lives with

Start with pictures your child sees every day. If breakfast is the best part of the morning, Recognize Everyday Food has oatmeal, rice, waffles, cheese and eggs. If getting dressed is a daily battle anyway, Recognize Clothing turns socks, pants and sweaters into practice. A child who loves the dog will probably like Recognize Pets and Farm Animals.

Two packs ask a bit more of your child. In Recognize Action Words the pictures show people, and your child has to look at what the person is doing, not who it is. In Recognize Colors, keep the object the same when you practice off the page: a red sock next to a blue sock, not a red sock next to a blue cup. Otherwise your child may be choosing the sock, not the color. Print the color pack in color.

Start with two pictures, then add one

Cover the other rounds with a sheet of paper so only one round shows. Keep the adult guide out of sight. Begin with two clear pictures and a short direction your child already knows. When your child is choosing comfortably, add one more picture. Do not jump straight to the full page.

Say the direction once, then wait. If your child needs help during teaching, repeat the direction once or show the right picture. On the next turn, wait a little longer and help a little less. Avoid guiding the hand: you want to know what your child understood, not where you moved their finger.

Kids are very good at reading us. Keep your eyes, your finger and your voice neutral, and shuffle the picture positions between turns. If the right answer is always on the left, or you glance at it, your child learns the spot or your face instead of the word.

Keep sessions short: 3 to 5 minutes, one easy win to start, 3 to 6 practice turns, then finish with something your child enjoys. Stop when your child wants to stop. Three turns at breakfast and three at playtime often go better than one long sit-down.

Take the word off the page

A child who picks the apple card every time may still look blank when the apple is in the fruit bowl. Understanding a word means finding it in real life too: a different apple, a different person asking, a different room. Each pack ends with an idea for doing exactly that.

  • At snack time, put two familiar things on the table and say “Give me the cup” or “Find the spoon”. Swap their places between turns.
  • While unpacking groceries, ask for a banana, an apple or a pear among other safe foods.
  • While getting dressed, ask for a sock, a shirt, a hat or a shoe. Start with two.
  • At home, say “Find the bathroom” or “Where is the kitchen?” while you walk together, and let the room itself be the cue.
  • With a picture book, ask your child to point to the dog, the rabbit, the cow or the duck.

Check separately, and write down the first answer

The six check rounds are for noticing what your child can do without help. Say the direction once and record the first response. No pointing, no naming the answer, no correcting between attempts. If your child declines, stop and note it instead of forcing a score.

The log uses three letters: I for independent correct, H for correct with help, X for incorrect or no response. Mostly I? Try a new example or let another adult ask. Some H? Stay on the same skill and make one thing easier. Repeated X? Go back to fewer pictures and teach again.

The check is informal. It does not replace an assessment, and it does not tell you whether your child can say the word. Bring the log to your child’s BCBA or therapist so they can see what you see at home.

In the download

9 printable packs, each with instructions, practice rounds, a check and a log.

  • Recognize Everyday Objects

    Your child hands over or points to a hat, a chair, a sock or a car when you name it.

  • Recognize Fruit

    Your child taps the named fruit, from bananas and lemons to kiwis and blackberries.

  • Recognize Everyday Food

    Your child finds familiar foods like rice, cheese, eggs and sandwiches from their spoken name.

  • Recognize Clothing

    Your child picks out pants, a dress, a scarf or a shoe when you name it.

  • Recognize Pets and Farm Animals

    Your child taps the dog, cat, sheep, pig or rabbit you name.

  • Recognize Action Words

    Your child finds the person running, jumping, clapping or throwing.

  • Recognize Places

    Your child finds the bathroom, the park, the beach or the supermarket from its name.

  • Recognize Home Furnishings

    Your child taps the lamp, rug, door or mirror you name.

  • Recognize Colors

    Your child chooses red, blue, yellow or green when you say the color. Print in color.

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For BCBAs, RBTs and therapists

For BCBAs, RBTs and speech therapists

These nine packs sit in Listener Responding: receptive identification of items, pictures, actions, places and colors from a spoken direction, with selection by pointing or tapping. They line up with the VB-MAPP Listener Responding (LR) milestones and with ABLLS-R Receptive Language (Section C). Parents are told to start at a field of two and add one comparison at a time, rotate positions, keep prompts out of gaze and voice, and record helped and independent responses separately (I/H/X).

The check rounds use the familiar teaching pictures, so treat them as a home probe, not a mastery or generalization measure. They also say nothing about tacting. If you want the same targets run daily with logged trials, SuperChild gives each training 10 levels (6 teaching, 3 generalization, 1 assessment) with the target and mastery criteria set by you, plus an off-screen check with real objects, other people and other places.

Questions parents ask

What are receptive language skills in autism?
They are the skills of understanding what other people say: finding the cup when you ask for it, pointing to the dog in a book, going to the bathroom when you say “Find the bathroom”. Many autistic children understand more than they can say, and receptive practice gives them a way to show it without talking.
My child does not talk. Can they still do these activities?
Yes. Speech is not part of the response. Your child points to or taps a picture, or hands you an object. If your child uses a speech device, these packs practice the understanding side, which is separate from what the device is for.
At what age can I start receptive language activities?
The packs do not set an age. What helps more is whether your child can look at two pictures for a moment and point or tap. If that is hard right now, ask your child’s BCBA or therapist which skills come first. Matching identical pictures is a common starting point.
What if my child keeps picking the same spot or guessing?
Go back to two pictures, shuffle positions every turn and check that you are not looking at the answer. Use pictures your child cares about. If errors keep coming, stop for the day on an easy win and try again tomorrow with fewer choices.
How many minutes a day should we practice?
The packs suggest 3 to 5 minutes with 3 to 6 turns. It is better to add a few short moments across the day, at breakfast, while dressing, at bath time, than to make one session longer. Only stretch the time while your child stays comfortable and interested.
Are the printable checks an assessment?
No. They are an informal snapshot with familiar pictures. They do not tell you if your child can name the item or use the word in daily life. Share the log with your child’s BCBA or therapist, who can decide what it means for their goals.

More free printables

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The same practice on a tablet, with every answer recorded.

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