How Do I Encourage Communication & Verbal Behavior With Autism?

People with autism can find it difficult to communicate, which makes social interaction problematic. They tend to form their own, individual type of communication that can include non-verbal methods such as clapping or making a fist. A wide range of programs and research have proved that there are ways to encourage verbal behavior. One popular method when working with children is the Picture Exchange Communication System where a child swaps a picture for something he wants and eventually learns to ask and answer questions, according to specialscotland.org.

Instructions

• 1

  Join in a child's play and day-to-day life in a natural way, the Son-Rise home-based program advises parents. When the child eventually focuses on one particular activity, the adult can exploit this by encouraging discussion and interaction. For example, if a child settles down to playing toy drums, after several hours the parent can join in with another instrument and initiate a conversation about bands or with facts about instruments if that is preferred. The method focuses on following the child's lead and his interests. Do not worry if the child becomes angry at first, as this is also communication, according to specialscotland.org. This method can also work with adults.

• 2

  Slow down any routine daily activity to give the person with autism time to think and communicate, says The National Autistic Society. Do not bombard someone with autism with a series of questions. Instead, give him the space to work out what he wants to say.

• 3

  Use "conversation books" to encourage meaningful dialogue. The book could consist of pictures for young children or a list of relevant subjects that the child is interested in and include photographs and press cuttings. For example, a book for a child interested in pop music could contain relevant newspaper articles and music posters with a list of topics such as "Michael Jackson: his best hits." The aim is to use the book as a starting point, but it is crucial to focus on what the child is interested in, which will evolve as she gets older. Conversation books can also be effective with adults.

• 4

  Resist the urge to continually help people with autism such as bringing him things that he has forgotten. Let the person with autism communicate if she needs help.