Martha: We have one more question.

Shubata submitted this. She says, “My 10-year old has a hard time learning to tact colors. He is not color-blind and can sort colors, and can sort objects into different piles based on color. He can also read the name of the color, but cannot, for some reason, tact the different colors. Could I use TAGteach to teach tacting color? How?”

Martha: Yes, definitely. I think this is an issue of stimulus discrimination. I would start with just one color and teach that color. I don’t know if your son can speak, if he’s verbal or nonverbal, or if he has to sign. I would start with one color and slowly add another color, so you’re never working with more than two colors at time initially. In other words, start with a small field. I’d have to go back and refresh my mind as to how I did this with my son years ago, but that is my first reaction. I’ll have to get back to you with more later on, Shubata, because I need a little more time to think about it and sort it all out, but I will get back to it.

Of course, use the modeling we talked about. If you have a red object, and you can say to your son, “This is red. What color? Red.” Tag yourself when you say Red. Then do it together. Say, “Let’s do it together. This is Red. What color is it? Red.” Have him tag you when you say Red. Then you do it together and you ask him to try it. Just keep practicing, slowly adding in the different colors.