Strategies for Developing Communication Skills

Joint attention

Songs

Sing action songs together. Encourage your child to copy your actions and pause to allow your child to fill in the words e.g. “Old McDonald had a ……. “

Bubbles

Blow some bubbles and then point to the bubbles and pop them together.

Balloons

Blow up a balloon, then say, “ready, steady, go”, let go and watch the balloon wiggle to the floor. Next time you blow up the balloon, pause before you start blowing, wait for your child to make a request for more and then blow it up. Before letting it go, say “ready steady …….” – giving your child space to say “go” before you let go.

Feely bag

Put interesting objects into a feely bag and take it in turns to pull an object out of the bag and explore / discuss. Use lots of animated facial expression. Use the phrase “I have a …..”.

Books

Take time to look at a book together. Point to pictures and talk about the content.

Anticipation

Interaction games such as tickling – “I’m going to …… tickle you” and “Round and round the garden” are great ways to build anticipation.

Play

Provide play materials that match the level of your child’s current developmental stage. If they are at the exploratory stage, this would involve musical toys and toys that have interesting physical properties (e.g. feely books). If they can use cause effect toys, then give them toys which require an action that then causes a reaction (e.g. pop up toys, jiggle ball, toys that are activated by movement etc.). As children move towards pretend play, they begin to use objects in a functional way, for example putting a spoon to their mouth. Encourage this play by miming actions for the child to copy. Role play and pretend play are often less well developed in children with ASD / social communication difficulties in relation to other areas of development. Help your child to acquire this form of play by setting the scene and modelling actions. Children start by playing with large objects (e.g. dolls, tool kits) and then move to miniatures (e.g. dolls house and related material).

Turn Taking

Play games or do activities together which encourage turn taking. Give the verbal clues whilst you are playing i.e. “My turn …. Your turn”.

Examples are:

• marble run
• helter skelter
• rolling a ball to each other
• take it in turns to build a tower of blocks
• board and card games (for older children)
• taking turn to stir or add an ingredient whilst cooking
   

Listening

Encourage listening skills by incorporating audio materials into daily life e.g. listening to audio stories, music and recordings of noises (and guessing what they are) and playing games such as “Simon Says”. Call your child and wait for a response. If your child does not respond to their name, call them and use a physical prompt as well (e.g. tapping them on the shoulder).

Understanding

Routine

This helps your child to predict what is coming next and reduces the anxiety they may feel about not knowing what is about to happen.

Model

Model words for your child so that they hear them being used in the correct context.

Short sentences

Don’t use too many words. Speak in short phrases and choose vocabulary that your child is likely to understand.

Speed

Speak with a natural rhythm and a slow pace. Pause between sentences. Many children with ASD / communication difficulties have slower verbal processing speed.

Content

• Don’t ask your child more than one question at a time.
• Repeat rather than rephrase questions.
• Have songs that go with routine activities such as tidy up time, bath time, bed time.
• Uses phrases repetitively e.g. “time for bath”, “splash splash” etc.
• Many routine activities provide wonderful opportunities to teach language e.g. bath time (soap, shampoo, water, towel, body parts, hot, cold, clean, dirty, wash, etc.), getting dressed (shoes, socks, coat etc.).
• Listen to music or stories whilst at home or in the car.
• Read books with your child. The story and the pictures help to facilitate understanding. You can read the same book over many times if your child enjoys it and this also aids understanding.

Visual Information

• Support spoken language with visual information such as objects, pictures, symbols or written words. Your child's Speech and Language Therapist or Early Years Worker should be able to help you work out which level would be appropriate for your child.
• Use a "Time for" board to show your child what you are about to do. This can be extended to a short timetable if your child is at this level.
• Use a “Now Next Board" to help your child with transitions and to understand what is coming next.
• Place snacks in containers with a photograph / symbol /word on the outside.
• Label drawers and cupboards with an identifier such as a photograph, symbol or word.
   

Expressive Communication

Reward all communication types

Reward all attempts at initiating communication by responding. Your child may for example, use eye contact, gesture, facial expression, vocalisation, handing an object or taking you by the hand. Treat any of these as effective communication.

Expand

If your child is speaking, expand what they have said to develop it further (e.g. your child may say, “bubbles” and you respond by saying “yes, big bubbles …. pop, pop, pop”.

Do not force speaking

Do not insist on your child copying you or using words. Reward all communication.

Choices

Offer choices even if you know what your child would like. Choices create an opportunity to communicate and they also enable your child to exert some control over their environment. For example, at meal or snack time, hold up both items and offer choices of food and drink such as “milk or water?” and “raisons or biscuits?”. During play time, offer a choice of two toys e.g. “teddy or rabbit?”. During TV time, offer a choice of 2 different programs to watch.

Don’t anticipate

Don’t anticipate your child’s needs even if you know their preferences.

Create communication opportunities

Create opportunities for communication.

Examples include:

• putting things out of reach so that your child must ask for help
• offering toys that require adult intervention to switch them on
• not providing a spoon / fork at dinner time
• giving a snack in a container that your child can’t open independently
• switching the power to the CD player off
• turning the iPad off before you give it to your child
• pausing to give your child time to respond

Provide the means to communicate

Many children benefit from a way to communicate that does not rely on spoken words. This applies to children who are non-verbal but some verbal children also benefit from the visual prompts provided by objects, pictures, symbols and written words. These props facilitate the development of communication. They provide a way for your child to get their message across and help to reduce the frustration of not being able to communicate verbally. They will not stop your child from learning to speak.

Encourage initiation

Many children with ASD / social communication difficulties are passive communicators. Encourage initiation by giving your child the means necessary to be able to ask for an item when they want it. Your child may benefit from objects of reference, pictures, symbols or written words to help support this process.

Leave gaps

Use partial sentences and wait for your child to fill in the last word out, e.g. “Time for ….” (if they know what is coming next), “Ready steady ……….”, pausing and waiting for your child to finish a line in a song etc.

How to implement communication strategies

Many of the above strategies can be implemented in everyday activities during your daily routine. In addition, it is highly recommended that you set aside a daily 10-15 minutes of special fun play time in which you and your child play together without interruption. Have a box of toys that you use only at this time. Include toys that you know will be highly motivating for your child.

Environmental Factors

• Predictable Routine but encourage some flexibility
• Visual Information (objects, pictures or symbols as appropriate, now next boards)
• Spoken style of the adults (facilitating, not overly directive, reduced speed, appropriate content, calm)
• Calm response to melt downs
• Avoid Sensory Overload (manage sensory exposure in the environment and provide respite when needed)
• Consistency across people and environments
• Availability of non-verbal communication system at all times