Denise Szymczak MA, CCC/SLP
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Give a reason to communicate and wait

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To get communicating, kids need things to communicate about.and to keep communicating they need to someone to respond to  the messages they are sending.   We often do this by setting up situations in which someone needs to request a thing or some help. Some of these set-ups include:
  • putting something that is wanted out of reach
  • offering choices
  • offering things bit by bit
  • introducing something desirable that is novel in it's operation
  • adding a problem or an obstacle to a familiar routine
  • doing or showing something unusual


There is a very big HOWEVER, which is that making requests is only one kind of communication.  Other communication functions include greetings, indicating protests & refusals, asking questions and answering questions, sharing information, telling how to do something, describing feelings, making plans, coordinating play, re-telling stories, making up stories and there are more that I haven't listed.   You can recognize many communication functions performed by any communicator and it's important to respond to all of those.  Even kids who aren't using a lot of symbolic communication, ( words/signs/symbols/gestures) have multiple functions they need to achieve with whatever communication they do have.   Many of our kids with complex communication needs actually develop multiple modalities of communication even without our help. These can include, use of proximity and  touch, eye contact , direction of gaze and posture,  oral sounds, unique movements or gestures, 

 

To help kids develop their communication skills we work on :
  • Increasing quantity of their output, whatever it is. That can mean expanding the settings/activities/ situations where they use skills they already have.
  • Expanding the complexity of their communication mode. One way to scaffold this is to repeat the child's message and add an element.
  • Expanding the functions they use communication for.
Use these techniques to  follow the child's lead in interaction  ( from the Hanen Program):
  • Observe, watch, listen
  • be face to face
  • comment
  • imitate
  • interpret
  • join in and play
  • be a partner instead of a helper
 
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