Informative Pointing Method Program

Heather Clare, M.A.,OTR/L – Director of Specialized Programs

The Informative Pointing Method (IPM) is a unique educational method designed to allow non-verbal students access to their curriculum and to develop their communication skills. The term Informative Pointing refers to a developmental stage occurring at around 12 months, when a child points to give information in response to a question. With the Informative Pointing Method, the students learn different ways to answer a question. The students progress through a hierarchy of responses, initially pointing to a word, then eventually spelling and typing their responses. Students are able to demonstrate their knowledge and express their wants, needs, and feelings. IPM also allows students to access education through their best learning style, such as through visual, auditory, kinesthetic or tactile information. Students who are non-verbal have excelled in our classrooms using IPM. Focusing on the student’s ability to use expressive language assists the students and staff in dealing with the other challenges such as sensory or motor needs and challenging behaviors, which are often present with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. When students are able to express their needs, they can become an integral part of their own behavior plans and sensory strategies. All clinical and education staff are trained on IPM. Our occupational therapy and speech therapy staff work in the classrooms emphasizing the consistent application of IPM with through the use of core academics and daily communications. The students communicate in the classrooms and in therapy using letter boards, keyboards, Augmentative and Alternative Communicative devices, handwriting, and multiple choice answers. The Informative Pointing Method was developed through adaptations to the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) developed by Soma Mukhopadhyay. Soma brought her RPM teaching method to Carousel in 2002. It was developed as a classroom model by Heather Clare. Over time, different components of the method have been adapted to meet the needs of students at Carousel.