‘What Did You Say?’: Encouraging Effective Communication in Your Autistic Child
By: Tiffany Cook
Tags: Special Needs Parenting, Special Needs, Autism, Learning Disability, Parenting

Communicate With Your Child — Photo Courtesy of Pixabay

Perhaps the most frustrating hurdle that autism causes is the delay in the development of expressive language. Your child’s inability to communicate basic wants, needs and emotions can cause myriad complications ranging from deep frustration to more volatile situations such as self-harming behaviors and/or harming others. At the same time, finding the proper tools to encourage effective communication in your child with autism can be equally as daunting.

First, there is often the long wait to engage the services of a speech therapist. Waiting periods for in-home therapists in particular can average anywhere from one to six months so start the process as soon as you and your doctor determine that your child needs language intervention. Then, after the therapist is finally cleared to come to your home, there is mountains of paperwork to fill out at the first session in order to truly get started. As tedious as all of that sounds, having a speech therapist come to your home can be most effective in encouraging language development in your autistic child. Even if he or she is in public school and receives speech therapy, most school districts, due to funding issues, are not able to provide language intervention services with the frequency and level of intensity that a child with autism often requires. Then, after the speech therapist is on-board, the process of fostering a cooperative and therapeutic learning environment between you, the therapist and your child begins.

There are several tools that can assist in language learning both during and in-between therapy sessions. The first of these tools is PECS, meaning Picture Exchange Communication System. It is a system of picture cards that not only have visual but also textual representations of basic emotions, various common objects, common chores, schedule items and familiar places like school, church or the grocery store that can help your child with autism tell you how he or she is feeling, what they want or need, and/or where they want to go. You will also be able to communicate the need for certain actions from him or her like putting away toys, getting dressed or doing homework. PECS can also be a literacy tool as it can be used to aid your child with autism to build words, phrases and eventually complete sentences.

Another possible tool of communication is a talker device — otherwise known as an augmentative communication device. It is an electronic device, often customizable, that your child would carry around wherever he or she went. This device would enable your child to express feelings, to express wants and needs and to ask questions. These communication devices come in all sizes, brands and varying levels of complexity as far as use. It just depends on your child’s overall needs and communication goals.

Another tool, and perhaps the most familiar tool, is sign language — namely, baby signs such as for the simple phrases ‘All Done!’, ‘I Want’, or ‘More’. There are many books about baby signs that you can read in order to learn the signs for these simple phrases and more. There are also flash cards you can use with your child to aid in the learning and memorization of baby sign language.

Finally, using any one or combination of the above tools is most effective when accompanied by you as your child’s parent modeling the correct use of language. This involves saying the words, phrases or sentences as you are teaching your child to use any of the tools above. There is no substitute for setting a good example!