Below are 10 ways you can help your child communicate at home, school, and in the community.
Whether your child is verbal or non-verbal, three years old or twelve years old, you have many opportunities throughout your day to promote communication.
1.
Use visual strategies and visual tools to help your child understand her environment.
Visual strategies and visual tools are anything your child can see that assists her with understanding your requests and making sense of the world around her.
Visuals can include symbols, and/or words, schedules that show your child what to expect throughout her day, rules that explain expectations for different situations, and task strips that break down tasks into individual steps using photos.
Picture stories can also be used to help your child understand different scenarios in her life and assist in preparing her for new events or activities.
2.
If your child gets pronouns confused as she is speaking, give her the right words by stating her requests in first person.
For example, if she needs to use the bathroom, she may say, "Do you need to go to the bathroom?" You should then model the correct phrase, "I need to go to the bathroom.
" Some children with Autism tend to repeat things exactly how they have heard them (echolalia).
She learned to make the association between the question and needing to use the bathroom.
Smart child! So, now you need to replace that association with the correct words she needs to say when she needs to use the restroom.
Try stating words and sentences from her perspective whenever you help her communicate her thoughts.
So, if she is crying, try saying, "I am so sad.
" 3.
Place desired items in drawers, containers, and cabinets.
Label everything by placing pictures (photographs, symbols, or words) on the outside of the drawers, containers, and cabinets.
Encourage your child to request desired items by having her use her words or by encouraging her to bring the picture of the desired item to you.
Think of everything as a communication opportunity.
Having your child bring a picture of the requested item to you, instead of pulling you to the item, promotes effective, functional communication.
4.
Sabotage situations to promote requests.
For example, give everyone a fork at the dinner table tonight except for your child.
Start eating! When she looks at you or shows some indication that she needs something, wait for her to request a fork.
If she neither says anything nor gestures to a fork, ask her, "Do you need something?" If she still does not respond, give her the words, "I need a fork Mom.
" Then act surprised, "Oh right right! I am so sorry.
Let me get you a fork.
" Try this activity throughout the day including homework time and bath time.
Set your child up for successful communication opportunities.
5.
When you are in the car, talk, talk, talk.
Driving the car is a wonderful time to promote language.
Constantly talk to your child.
Say things like, "Wow! Look it's a white car! Look it's a red car! The sky is so blue today.
We are driving in the car.
I am sitting in the front seat.
You are sitting in the back seat.
It's such a beautiful sunny day outside.
It sure is hot outside the car.
It is cold inside the car.
" You can wait between your comments to give your child a chance to react or respond.
Talking to your child and modeling language helps your child understand the functions of communication.
6.
Exaggerate shared attention experiences.
When you see an airplane in the sky and you look up at it, your child may not look up too.
She may not understand that when you are looking up at something, that indicates there may be something interesting up there.
So, try teaching her this skill.
Whenever you see something unusual or possibly exciting, bring it to her attention in an exaggerated manner.
For example, if you are outside playing and there are some bright orange leaves, make a huge deal out of it! Point to the leaves and excitedly say, "Oh how beautiful!!! Look at those bright orange leaves.
" Encourage her to look at the same object that you are looking at.
Try pointing to the object, but if she doesn't look in that direction, you may need to move her head and body to face that way.
Shared attention is a huge part of communication and teaching this skill can really benefit her in the long run.
7.
Sit at the dinner table for mealtimes.
Eating together as a family creates many communication opportunities.
Your child can observe the rules that are involved in reciprocal communication by observing conversations.
In addition, she has more opportunities to answer questions and to learn how to ask questions.
8.
Play with your child.
Sit down on the floor with her and model appropriate play and communication skills.
Say phrases like, "My turn.
Your turn.
I don't want that.
No thank you.
Yes, please.
I want a turn.
I won! Oh well, maybe next time.
" Teach sharing and turn taking skills during this time.
By participating in activities and games that she is interested in, you are more likely to get a response.
Also try, imitating some of her actions to get into her world.
Then encourage her to imitate you.
9.
Get your child's attention before you talk to her.
Say her name and make sure she understands that you are talking to her.
You may have to take her by the hands to let her know you are speaking to her.
If you are speaking to another person in front of her, be sure to state the other person's name and make it clear to whom you are speaking.
I have observed many students in classrooms get upset because the teacher was disciplining a child and the other students thought the teacher was speaking to them! A breakdown in communication can trigger a meltdown.
10.
Teach introductions to random comments.
If your child is verbal and likes to approach you with stories in mid-thought, teach her to make introductions to her comments.
For example, if she says, "Jessica sang a song and she wore a dress.
" You may look at your child thinking, "I have no idea what you are talking about.
" However, a better strategy would be to teach her that all she needs to say is, "Hey Mom! May I tell you about what I saw on American Idol last night?" That one introductory sentence makes a huge difference, and turns a random vocalized thought into an appropriate conversation starter.
If you liked this article and found this information helpful, be sure to set up your free "Get Acquainted Call" with Jennifer Lingle, M.
Ed.
, Director of Autism Consulting and Training, Inc.
Click here to set up our call.