Communication

How do you start to communicate with your autistic child, if on first diagnosis your child has no language or at least no verbal way of communicating? What can you do to try to coax your child into speech?

For many months my son spoke his own language which while very entertaining and fascinating to try to comprehend, was not helping him. His language was exclusive to him no other person on earth knew what he was saying the only way I understood, if he wanted something, was when he used sign language.

So I set about trying to encourage spoken words from him. I knew he could speak I had heard him say words, I knew he understood what I was saying because of how he reacted when I spoke to him.

At his daycare, they were using a method, whereby they would call him by his name several times a day then record his reaction. This proved successful as he went from not responding after 5 tries to responding right away like any other child would. I knew progress could be made.

It was very basically a case of giving my son choices, pick one of two things. So kit kat or penguin biscuit. The trick being, that he did not get his choice until he said or at least attempted to say the word required to secure said food item.

I had to be careful not to alert his suspicious side because I learnt early on he was certainly no fool. There was a little bit of a performance required on my part.

At first, he would just look more intently at the thing he wanted almost willing it out of my hand.

It occurred to me then, that I should not to put anything in his eye line and instead just say the word of the thing he wanted. That way he had a good reason to say the word.

I made it like a game and it proved effective. I always congratulated him and told him, 'good talking
son, that was excellent'.

Mine and many other peoples work supporting his language has proved very successful.
He is quite the chatterbox now and obviously enjoys a conversation.