While many people consider communication to be what’s said in words and text, the definition also includes gestures and other types of body language. This extension is particularly important when you have a non-verbal child. Every grunt, eye movement, and hand twitch can be a signal that there’s a need or want to be met.
Similar to teaching your child how to speak as part of their communication skills, you can build other types of connections that don’t involve talking. Here, we’ll share the essentials of a communication toolkit for non-verbal kids.
It’s common to feel both worried and frustrated when you aren’t sure what your child needs. But rest assured that non-verbal communication has been part of life for longer than language. We may have lost sight of the original ways to connect, but they’re still innate.
Natural communication with your child can involve teaching them that certain gestures, pointing, and body language will result in a specific effect. The key is to be consistent. Pointing to the mouth, for instance, might mean they’re thirsty, while pointing to the stomach would signal “hungry.” This communication can evolve into tacting, or connecting a word to a non-verbal stimulus. It’s a research-based strategy frequently used in ABA Therapy, as described in this article by BehaviorSpan.
As your child is developmentally ready, consider introducing sign language using the words you use most often. “Tired,” “hungry,” “want,” “love,” and other vocabulary essentials are easily learned with a few simple hand movements. This communication opens a world of vocabulary, allowing them to talk to anyone who understands sign language.
Body language and natural communication cues provide immediate ways for your child to express their needs and feelings.
Although communication has been around since the beginning of humanity, we’ve thankfully evolved past the caveman days and have a little extra help from the tech world.
One of the latest systems taking the autism community by storm is PECS (Picture Exchange Communication Systems). This strategy uses pictures to help those with little or no communication abilities to communicate. Children (and adults) are taught to show a picture that shows their desire to the person they approach, sharing their thoughts, requests, and anything that can be displayed in an image. Keeping a set of the most common images your child uses in their toolkit, and making them accessible to them, lets them communicate as needed.
Other low-tech aids include using visual cues for scheduling (breakfast, school, dinner, and other reminders), using single-message buttons like BIGmack switches, and engaging your child with communication boards and books. These gadgets help teach non-verbal ways to stick to a routine and make decisions.
As your little one grows, so do their needs. When they’re ready, many high-tech advancements can aid communication, such as speech-generating devices (SGDs). These tech devices use an electronic voice (think: Siri and Alexa) to speak for the non-verbal person. Many insurance companies cover these high-tech systems, depending on the policy and the diagnosis.
Some SGDs are entire systems, while others are apps. You can set up the SGD to offer pre-recorded messages or, if your child is able, let them type their requests, and the synthesized voice will speak their message. The difference lies in whether the device you choose is digitized or synthesized.
Digitized speech devices play pre-recorded words and phrases, while synthesized speech uses software like your smartphone's text-to-speech solution. Users type or select words to create a message and can interact via finger touchscreens, keyboards, switches, joysticks, head-tracking, and eye-gaze technology. These options make SGDs ideal for anyone with a severe speech impairment.
From touchscreens to eye gazing and head pointing, there’s a high-tech tool for most levels of non-verbal communication. Using these devices gives your child broader access to vocabulary words that are not easily symbolized through PECS, helps them engage in complex social interactions, and builds their independence in ways that might not otherwise be possible.
Every parent wants to provide for their children and take care of their needs and desires, but when you have a little one who can’t tell you what those are, it can be both worrisome and frustrating. But when you have a toolkit of natural body language and a few tech add-ons, non-verbal doesn’t have to mean non-communicative.
Start building this kit when your child is developmentally ready, and continue adding to it as they grow. Soon, you’ll have a language that helps your family communicate, and you’ll teach your child how to interact with the outside world, too.
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