3.1. How to increase communication

Author: Dr. Joanna Kossewska, Danuta Wolska and Andrzej Wolski. (Cracow-PI)

Therapy of an autistic child consists, on one hand, in teaching the child socially accepted behaviours and a number of skills necessary to function properly in everyday life, on the other hand we are trying to find the key that would allow us to get information from the child, from their surprising, and often socially unaccepted world. We have to aim at recognising and understanding the child’s behaviours, their needs and wishes. A good stimulation in developing the communication skills will be pleasant sensations based on fulfilling the needs communicated by the child. 

During speech, teaching it is good to choose syntactic forms, rather functional than arbitrary. They have to be related to child’s needs (drink, eat, I want, etc.). They are easier and better assimilated by the child. We concentrate on key words related to the child’s needs.

Entering the area of teaching of communication skills (both verbal and non-verbal) we have to remember that most children think in the concrete – graphic way, so to describe concepts we use concrete things or visual symbols.

Autistic children have difficulties with remembering a sequence or a set of verbal instructions. Therefore, we should first use written instruction for children who can read and symbols (pictograms) or pictures for those who cannot. In the second stage, the child should see the demonstration of the task, and finally we introduce verbal instruction. We should however remember that each form of communicate should be assisted with a verbal instruction.

We may use cards with words written on them together with reinforcements (colourful cards designating parts of speech). For example, a word meaning something to eat (a pear, sugar, etc.) may be associated with a favourite toy. Favourite food may be divided into little pieces and we could put a proper word next to it. Whenever the child wants to get the food, he or she has to indicate the card with the word written on it.

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