How to help your non-verbal child with Autism talk?

There is nothing that a parent would want more than to communicate with their child and understand their feelings — especially those that indicate hunger, sleep, and discomfort. However, in most cases, parents who have children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), struggle with this due to their child’s inability to communicate effectively.

It is important to note here that ASD manifests differently in every child who is diagnosed with it. In other words, no two children with Autism are the same. Some find it hard to converse or even communicate how they feel. Others may not be able to speak at all — this condition is known as non-verbal Autism.

Understanding non-verbal Autism

Research shows that children with Autism tend to develop difficulties or delays with respect to communication and speech. These impediments typically range from anywhere between mild to severe. This makes it important to identify non-verbal Autism in its early stages and provide children with the right assistance early on to develop adequate communication skills. Here are some signs you need to look out for to identify non-verbal Autism:

• Avoids eye contact
• Finds it difficult to pick up on other people’s facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures
• Makes very few gestures and sometimes may come across as ‘robot-like’
• Reacts unusually to sights, smells, textures, and sounds
• Displays sensitivity to loud noises
• Remains unresponsive to people entering or leaving the room
• Shows disinterest in efforts made by others to interact 
• Displays atypical postures, clumsiness, or eccentric ways of moving, such as walking on tiptoes 

If your child shows signs of non-verbal Autism, remember not to panic. Several studies have shown that kids with non-verbal Autism can, in fact, learn to speak through daily assistance and social interactions. Additionally, you could consider therapies that help shape behaviors to encourage language development.

Here are a few methods that have shown promising results:  

Promote social interactions and engagement

Interacting with autistic children through play helps develop their ability to learn faster and engage socially. The essential part of play is to get them to use their hands through games that require shaping, sorting, dancing, and matching to build visual and motor skills. Once they are comfortable expressing themselves through gestures and movement, children start using words to emote. In facilitating all this, it is very important to play and speak with the child at eye level, so they can see and hear you clearly. 

Encourage facilitated communication

All you have to do is find the things that your child really likes. This could be food, a place in the house, someone they love, their favorite toy, or even a movie. Now, try to use what motivates them to encourage them to learn and communicate. For example, show them an image of their favorite food item, and play an audio clip of the name’s pronunciation. Now, ask your child to pick the picture of the food item from a stack of images. When they succeed, give them the food item as a reward!

Mimic technique

Mimicking is an effective technique that can help children with Autism build strong communicative skills. This method requires you to mimic your child’s behaviors, as this will motivate them to understand and copy you. Remember, always imitate only positive behaviors, and avoid negative ones such as breaking things or throwing objects around.

Simplify language

The best way to help your child understand what you are saying is by using simple words and sentences when talking to them. Start by trying to use only single words, pick up the things or point to them and say what they are out loud. This will motivate them to imitate you and utter the word out loud. And, if the method works well, you can go one step further and start expressing small phrases, like ‘take toy’ or ‘play ball’. 

Label what they do

Research suggests that children are prone to speak when their feelings or behaviors are expressed out loud to them. For example, if you see your child going to the fridge, say “you are hungry” or if they are smiling and clapping, say “you are happy”. This will help them label their feelings. Remember to use this method consistently and naturally. Incorporate this type of communication into your daily life. This method can be supported by speech therapy sessions too.

Positivity is the key

Taking care of a child with Autism can be challenging. But, remember that a positive attitude and encouraging words can go a long way in helping your child speak. Children can easily decipher stressful tones. Therefore, it becomes very important to destress before interacting with children and showing them that you trust in their ability to speak. 

An early treatment for Autism is the best way to help your child build communication skills and potentially learn to speak. Give the methods we have listed out a try. But, don’t stop yourself from reading up more on the subject, consult with professionals and remember — you and your child are a team and you can help them to find their voice only by working together.