Two Ideas for Communicating with Non-Verbal Children

For many years, my autistic child was non-verbal. Having studied special education in college, I knew how vital language skills were to a growing child. Whether he would ever speak or not, he needed a way to communicate his needs and thoughts now. Here are two ideas you might consider for communicating with your non-verbal child.

Using a Signed Language for Non-Verbal Children

Before our son was diagnosed with autism, I was a sign language interpreter for Deaf children. With that background, it was easy to integrate a signed language system into our home. There are several types of signed languages. ASL is American Sign Language and the language used in the Deaf community. SEE is Signed Exact English and is often taught and encouraged for deaf children living in hearing communities. And then there is CASE which stands for Conceptually Accurate Signed English. This is what I used with my son because after all, he was a hearing child.

I would teach him the sign for "cracker." Then I would sign, "You want cracker?" while speaking the words "Do you want a cracker?" When he would grunt or shake his head yes, I would show him how to sign "Cracker, please" and wait for him to sign it back to me. Depending on your little one, you may choose to just teach them the sign for "cracker" and wait on the "please"!

Modifying signs might be appropriate for tiny hands with less than ideal dexterity. That is okay, just make sure it is something similar to the correct sign and something you use consistently.

Using PECS for Non-Verbal Children

PECS stands for Picture Exchange Communication System. My son began using this option at his first preschool. Personally, I did not like it. By this time, he could sign over 50 words and using the pictures was just an added frustration to him. However, I did see value in this option if it were used to begin with.

Using the PEC System is a way to teach a child to communicate with someone by handing them a picture of what they want. These little pictures should be laminated for use because they will get dirty and get a lot of wear and tear.

Some pictures you might consider using are for favorite foods, potty, favorite toys, and emotions such as sick, happy, sad, and mad. You can find many free printable PECS pictures online. Here is a list I found at AutismSupport.org. Click here to see an example page.

For more information on using this system, see this amazing article here.

Your Thoughts?

What about you? What ideas and strategies have helped with your non-verbal child? We would love to hear your experiences in the comments below!

- Amie