Amory Stephenson #21

Choice Menus &

Choice Boards

Making choices is a fundamental right that some children with learning disabilities may rarely
experience because of their caregivers/educators limited knowledge of their varied
communication styles. Choice menus and choice boards can open opportunities for children.
Some children with learning disabilities struggle when making choices. This difficulty in making decisions as well
as a decrease of opportunities in choice making causes them to become dependent on others to make choices
and decisions for them. When the ability to choose is removed, behavior and engagement can suffer (Stafford,
2005). Typical classroom routine may also be a struggle for some children with learning disabilities. Providing
opportunities for children to make choices about what they want to do next or more specifically the pieces within
an activity can make way for children to learn more adaptive coping strategies (Dunlap, et al, 1994).

Who can benefit from

Choice menus/Choice Boards?
This strategy can be used across the
board for any child. Children with mild,
moderate, and even severe learning
disabilities have benefitted from
implementing choice menus and choice
boards into their daily routines. Choice
menus/boards are helpful for children with
visual impairments, multiple disabilities,
ADHD, Autism, emotional disturbances,
deaf and hard of hearing and intellectual
disabilities. Typically developing children
and teens have had great success with
choice menus and choice boards to help
stay on task and complete several items
in a day in the order of their choosing.

Why should I use this strategy?

Increased Task Engagement

Increased work completion
Decreased Disruptive behaviors
Increased personal responsibility
Use with any theme
super easy to create

A student often gets frustrated during

class. This set of cards helps to remind
them of healthy ways they can channel
that frustration.
When entering the classroom, a child that
might not have automatic go-to ideas for
greeting classmates gets some help.

One of your students is non-verbal. You

give her opportunities to choose the
activity she wants to do next.

How to implement this strategy in your classroom:

Children may need help learning to play.
This choice menu gives ideas for what to
do with this doctor kit.

1) What are you trying to accomplish with this

choice board/menu?
Behavior

Activity

Play

2) Determine what options you would like to give

the child to choose from
3) Create a board with the options clearly
displayed for the child to pick from

References:
Dunlap, G., DePerszel, M., Clarke, S., Wilson, D., Wright, S., White, R., &
Gomez, A. (1994). Choice making to promote adaptive behavior
for students with emotional and behavioral challenges. Journal of
Applied Behavior Analysis. 27, 505-518.
Luckner, J., Bowen, S., & Carter, K. (2001). Visual teaching strategies.
Teaching Exceptional Children. 33 (3), 38-44.
Stafford, A. (2005). Choice making: A strategy for students with severe
disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children. 37 (6), 12-17.