A friend of mine approached me the other day and told me his adult son is dating a woman who has a child with Autism. He said the boy smiles when he sees him, but the boy doesn't say any words. He doesn't verbally stim (make loud noises) and is very calm. My friend told me that his son describes the boy as "being trapped in there". My first remarks were the boy is obviously intelligent. I suggested my friend's son get on the internet and print out a few small pictures of different things. He then should affix Velcro to the back of the pictures and Velcro strips to a piece of construction paper. When he sees the child, he can pull out this communication board and ask the boy a question. The child can then respond by placing the appropriate picture on the paper. That would be a good and inexpensive way for the two of them to communicate. My friend seemed excited by this information and he said he would talk to his son about this idea.
Verbal or non-verbal? Communicating with individuals who have Autism is dependent on their functioning level. Did you know approximately 25% of the Autism population speak few to no words (SFARI)? So how do you communicate? Some individuals with Autism communicate through sign language. To see more information on that topic please visit my blog, Cross Disability: Hearing Impairments and Autism.
I want to tell you about the different ways you can communicate with your non-verbal loved one. If, during the course of this blog, you find I missed one, please place a comment in the comments section on how you do it! We are here to help each other. That being said, please don't give up. If some of these suggestions do not work for you try something else.
So what is this I-pad business? The iPads have been a revelation in the world of Autism communication. I met a little girl at our therapists office, her name is Lily. Lily is completely nonverbal. She is such a sweet and curious child and all I want to do every time I see her is give her a big hug. Lily and I connected the first time we met, when I stopped her mid-tantrum by showing her a butterfly puzzle piece. I asked Lily: What is that? What colors do you see? How many wings does that butterfly have? Her grandmother wasn't sure at first why I kept talking to Lily. "She's nonverbal" she said to me. "I know" I said. That didn't stop me from talking to her and asking her questions. Lily sat with me. She began feeling my pant leg, engrossed with the texture of my jeans. "Don't touch her" her grandmother corrected. That made me sad. I wanted her to explore. It didn't bother me that Lily was touching my pant leg, she wasn't hitting or pinching, she was curious. Lily has an ipad with an app on it called Proloquo2Go. This wonderful little app talks for her when she selects a picture.
So why the long, drawn out story? I tell you about Lily to caution you about limiting your children. We, as Autism parents, are so scared that our children are going to offend someone that we over correct. I am guilty of it too, so I am not casting stones at Lily's grandmother. Temple Grandin says they will never learn to speak for themselves if you speak for them. That is why I talk to Lily like any other child. I had tuned into Lily and she knew it. Think about the surroundings in which Lily and I met. We were at a therapist's office. I had my daughter in the waiting room with me and we were playing with a puzzle. The chances of Lily imposing on me are significantly lower here than if we were some people sitting in a food court at the mall. Ask people. I look at people Aiden is interacting closely with and ask them "Is he ok?". I usually get a big smile and "yes he's fine". I let it go until I see a behavior that needs to be corrected.
The iPad has many more apps on it that can help you and your loved one with Autism. Look into these options if you can. I love the iPad, but they are so expensive I don't have one yet. Try finding a refurbished iPad, instead of buying new. This link is so important. It tells you how to get an iPad for significantly reduced rates or even for free. Please click here for more information: Wonder Baby.
So you don't have money for an iPad. What else can you do? Like I mentioned above, construction paper works wonders. You will need pictures you either create or print of different things, like food, emotions, favorite toys, etc. You will also need Velcro, scissors, and construction paper. Cut the pictures out. put a piece of Velcro on the back of each one. On the construction paper put a header, something simple like "I want" or "I feel" then put strips of Velcro on the paper. The child can select their picture and stick it on the construction paper. You can even use file folders with Velcro on them or attach the boards with a ring or in a binder for organization. You can purchase pre-made boards on the internet as well.
The other suggestion I can make is one I saw on Netflix, I believe it was A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism. In this documentary a woman in search of a way to communicate with her low functioning, non-verbal son, Keli, she meets a therapist whose son is also nonverbal. The therapist teaches Keli to speak with a letter board, which is really nothing more than a stencil. She has them point at the letters with a pencil to spell out words, but some children use their fingers just as easily.
Verbal or non-verbal? Communicating with individuals who have Autism is dependent on their functioning level. Did you know approximately 25% of the Autism population speak few to no words (SFARI)? So how do you communicate? Some individuals with Autism communicate through sign language. To see more information on that topic please visit my blog, Cross Disability: Hearing Impairments and Autism.
I want to tell you about the different ways you can communicate with your non-verbal loved one. If, during the course of this blog, you find I missed one, please place a comment in the comments section on how you do it! We are here to help each other. That being said, please don't give up. If some of these suggestions do not work for you try something else.
So what is this I-pad business? The iPads have been a revelation in the world of Autism communication. I met a little girl at our therapists office, her name is Lily. Lily is completely nonverbal. She is such a sweet and curious child and all I want to do every time I see her is give her a big hug. Lily and I connected the first time we met, when I stopped her mid-tantrum by showing her a butterfly puzzle piece. I asked Lily: What is that? What colors do you see? How many wings does that butterfly have? Her grandmother wasn't sure at first why I kept talking to Lily. "She's nonverbal" she said to me. "I know" I said. That didn't stop me from talking to her and asking her questions. Lily sat with me. She began feeling my pant leg, engrossed with the texture of my jeans. "Don't touch her" her grandmother corrected. That made me sad. I wanted her to explore. It didn't bother me that Lily was touching my pant leg, she wasn't hitting or pinching, she was curious. Lily has an ipad with an app on it called Proloquo2Go. This wonderful little app talks for her when she selects a picture.
The iPad has many more apps on it that can help you and your loved one with Autism. Look into these options if you can. I love the iPad, but they are so expensive I don't have one yet. Try finding a refurbished iPad, instead of buying new. This link is so important. It tells you how to get an iPad for significantly reduced rates or even for free. Please click here for more information: Wonder Baby.
So you don't have money for an iPad. What else can you do? Like I mentioned above, construction paper works wonders. You will need pictures you either create or print of different things, like food, emotions, favorite toys, etc. You will also need Velcro, scissors, and construction paper. Cut the pictures out. put a piece of Velcro on the back of each one. On the construction paper put a header, something simple like "I want" or "I feel" then put strips of Velcro on the paper. The child can select their picture and stick it on the construction paper. You can even use file folders with Velcro on them or attach the boards with a ring or in a binder for organization. You can purchase pre-made boards on the internet as well.
The other suggestion I can make is one I saw on Netflix, I believe it was A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism. In this documentary a woman in search of a way to communicate with her low functioning, non-verbal son, Keli, she meets a therapist whose son is also nonverbal. The therapist teaches Keli to speak with a letter board, which is really nothing more than a stencil. She has them point at the letters with a pencil to spell out words, but some children use their fingers just as easily.
Another form of communication I have seen is demonstrated by Carly Fleischmann. Carly types on a laptop that speaks for her. Its a sort of blend between a letter board and the iPad. You can watch Carly in action in the video below, but grab some tissues.
The most profound thing I have heard someone say came from one of Carly's therapists "She started to realize that by communicating she had power over her environment". We take our communications for granted. We communicate and have power over our environment. We see this in our children when they learn to turn on and off light switches. Its exciting for them because they realize they control their environment. Help your child control their environment, look for ways to communicate with them. Remember, always remember, being non-verbal does not mean unintelligent.
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