Sometimes it can be very difficult to get children with autism to enter fully into
communication situationsAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects children in different ways. They may show behavioral difficulties and require strict routines to live a peaceful life. Any change or unforeseen event, no matter how small, can stress the child. In addition, they may develop compulsive behaviors that they repeat dailyThis aspect is exacerbated because it is related to communication and language, both verbal and non-verbal, a factor that has a key influence on their social relationships and emotional well-being.
Generally, children with ASD prefer to be alone, this is because they don't understand social norms or they do not know how to respond to displays of both affection and anger, given their difficulty empathizing and understanding other people's actions. Therefore, it is important that from a young age their social communication is encouraged and strengthen the relationship with your environment.
A good way is to create communication situations, but how do you do it? Here are some tips.
- Nonverbal communication is a bridge to language development:
While many parents' goal is to talk, many children can find equally effective ways to communicate nonverbally. In fact, many of these nonverbal communications, such as Hand gestures and eye contact are the basic components of language. Therefore, it is important to encourage its development as a precursor to speech.
Be sure to model these behaviors for your child by exaggerating your own hand gestures and making it easy for your child to copy them. When you want your child to pick up a toy, Don't just ask for the toy, also point at it with your finger. and nods "yes" when you select the correct one.
Clapping, extending arms, and opening hands are universally recognized gestures that even a young, nonverbal child can probably interpret. - Play and social interaction create many opportunities to describe things.
Your child will have many opportunities to learn and interact socially through play. Play games your child likes, especially those involving sorting, ordering, and matching, are a great option, as They work on visual and motor skills, as well as in communication. Trying to establish the game in these priority games is the beginning and little by little adding variants, expanding the possibilities of the game It is the most appropriate way to do it and be successful.
Anything that gets your child using their hands, such as play dough or paint, creates many opportunities for them to describe the tactile experience, using gestures at first, and then words. The connection between physical sensations and the urge to describe the feeling can be very strong.
You can even get music by singing or playing toy instrumentsWhen playing with your child, always be sure to position yourself at eye level so your child can easily see and hear you as you play together and learn from what you do. - Imitation games are a way to communicate mutual understanding.
After establishing the attention game, we need to take a step further toward "copying" what the other person does! The great thing about imitation is that it can go both ways, just like a conversation! You start by imitating your child, how he sounds and how he plays, to encourage him to do more of both., mirroring is a tool that resonates with our little ones. The mirror itself "Mirror" It can give us moments of self-recognition and recognition of others and expands the possibility of mutual resonance. Imitation games are as simple as they seem: if your child stacks a Lego on their tower, you stack a Lego on top of yours. If your child knocks down their tower, you knock down theirs too! - Let your child set the pace and the topic that interests them
It's important for our children to take the lead. It's a way for us to get closer and connect with them. When we have a baby at home, we never think about them setting our pace or following our interests. So, when we have children with interaction difficulties, we must keep in mind that they follow the same pattern of establishing interaction in one direction at first, and after much experience, they will begin to do so in both directions. Allowing your child to choose the topic and set the pace is a great way to ensure they don't lose focus.. Follow along with what your child is already doing and narrate your activity using words. So, if your child is sorting shapes, say “square” when they hold up that shape and “inside” when they place that piece in its appropriate basket. This way, you allow your child to focus on what interests them and encourage your child to connect the words to their chosen activity. Choosing your words so that your child will understand them more easily is a good idea. You may consider speaking to your child using only simple words like “take” or “ball” at first. Use a single word makes things very simple for your child to understand and imitate. Then, when your child begins to use these words, you can add a word to the phrase, such as "pick up toy" or "roll the ball." You can continue to build on the phrases so they can convey complete ideas in full sentences. - Consider using assistive devices
There are many types of assistive devices available that are designed to help children and adults with ASD who have difficulty communicating, both those capable of speech and those who are completely nonverbal. It's important to understand that these devices aren't just meant to take the place of speech; they're designed to be a foundation for communication as well.
Visual aids also help children make requests and share thoughts by touching pictures that then produce words. There are many devices available, as well as apps that can be downloaded directly to your phone or tablet. For example, VICON Method It is a structured and intensive learning program for children with a visual and musical profile that begins from the essential levels of early development to the final and most complex stages of communication. - Avoid the urge to answer for your child and give them space; their response latency is usually slower. Keep in mind that sometimes your child may not respond, or may need more time to answer. And that's okay. They may feel the need to complete sentences, mouth the answers they're hoping to hear, or answer questions on your behalf when someone else asks, but it's okay to give them the space to respond, even if the answer simply isn't coming.
Children with ASD need time and space to think and processAnd sometimes, they won't even respond. But you need to keep giving them the opportunity to respond instead of doing it for them.
Wait several seconds after answering a question and look at your child with interest. Be alert for any signs of sound or movementAnd if they offer a response of any kind, be sure to react and respond quickly. Providing this type of reinforcement can be the most powerful thing you can do for your child. - Give importance to the greeting: Something that can help generate communication and help children begin to connect is getting the child used to saying hello whenever someone new arrives at home, or whenever they enter a place, both nonverbally (with a handshake) and with words (hello, good morning). This way, they'll be in touch with the other person, and they'll also need to say goodbye when they leave.
After repeating these routines daily, the child will carry out these actions on his own and thus will increase contact with different peopleYour communication skills will gradually improve and you'll become more accustomed to social interaction spaces as you become familiar with them at home.