What's The Story?

This humorous picture shows different ways children might be communicating in an inclusive school canteen. See page 7 of our Guidance for Illustrators [231kb PDF] for more detail and weblinks.
The menu offers a choice of words and pictorial symbols to convey meaning. Some of the children have the same symbols in their communication folders.
The cat is choosing ice cream! The symbol will have been velcroed to the servery. Similar style pictures might be in the classroom individualised for the child, click here to see an example of a picture based system used in classrooms.

Some children without speech, and/or hearing, use gestures and facial expressions to explain their choices. In the picture a child is anticipating lunch using a knife and fork sign, a child is beckoning, a child is saying a thumbs up "good" and a child is rubbing her stomach in a hungry gesture.

The child in the wheelchair is making his choice via a computer. He might have been drawn propelling his own wheelchair into the scene.

The adult helper has got down to the child's level in order to assist one very keen child make her choice!