Description
Snack Time Communication Book | Colourful Semantics
The Snack Time Communication Book is a visual communication resource designed to support autistic and neurodivergent learners during meaningful snack and mealtime experiences. It is part of the Elevating Neurodiversity Shared Communication Book series.
Using the Colourful Semantics framework, the book brings together vocabulary for Core Words, WHO, WHAT DOING, WHAT, WHERE and WHAT LIKE?, giving adults a practical visual resource to support communication while children are choosing, preparing, eating, drinking and sharing food.
Snack time creates natural opportunities for communication because children can eat, drink, choose, take, get, open, close, pour, cut, spread, peel, bite, chew, share, give and finish. The book helps adults use these familiar experiences as opportunities to model meaningful language without turning snack time into a formal language task.
The focus is on shared communication through everyday routines. Adults can use the visuals to follow the child’s interests, model relevant vocabulary, respond to their communication and expand on what they are already doing.
What’s included
The Snack Time Communication Book includes six Colourful Semantics communication sections alongside a Core Words section.
The WHAT DOING section focuses on everyday actions such as eat, drink, choose, take, get, open, close, pour, cut, spread, peel, bite, chew, share, give and finish.
The WHAT section includes familiar snack vocabulary such as snack, food, drink, plate, cup, bowl, spoon, napkin, sandwich, fruit, cracker, yoghurt, cheese, toast, apple and banana.
The WHERE section focuses on meaningful locations associated with snack time, including snack table, table, classroom, kitchen, dining room, canteen, lunch hall, snack area, food area, worktop, trolley, cupboard, fridge, sink, garden and outdoor area.
The WHAT LIKE? section supports descriptive and commenting language with words such as yummy, tasty, sweet, sour, salty, hot, cold, warm, cool, soft, hard, crunchy, smooth, sticky, dry and juicy.
The WHO section supports people and pronouns that can be used during snack time, while the Core Words section provides functional vocabulary for everyday communication.
Model language during real snack time
The resource encourages adults to use snack time as an opportunity for natural communication, rather than simply asking children to name food or request items.
Adults can notice what the child is doing, join the interaction, model a useful word or phrase, respond to their communication and add one more meaningful idea.
For example, an adult might model “You’re eating,” “I’m pouring,” “You chose the apple,” or “You’re eating a crunchy cracker.”
The aim is to make communication part of the routine, giving children opportunities to communicate about what they want, what they are doing, what they can see and how things taste, feel and look.
Who is it for?
The Snack Time Communication Book is suitable for class teachers, specialist teachers, teaching assistants, SENCOs, speech and language professionals and families supporting autistic and neurodivergent learners.
It can be used in mainstream classrooms, specialist settings, autism provision, early years environments and at home during snack and mealtime routines.
Part of the Shared Communication Book series
Snack Time is part of the Elevating Neurodiversity Shared Communication Book series, created to support communication within everyday play, routines and learning experiences.
Each book uses the same familiar visual structure while focusing on vocabulary that is meaningful within a particular activity or environment. This allows adults and learners to build familiarity with the Colourful Semantics system while using language in real contexts.
Digital PDF resource. No physical product will be shipped.
