Every child with Autism is unique and does not have to show or produce behaviours similar to another child. Each child is different and will have different strengths and needs in communication. A single action plan cannot be generated for all children. Instead, the following principles may be used to guide your therapy or as a framework.
- Establish functional and spontaneous communication
The first thing to make sure is to ensure your child with autism is able to communicate functionally and spontaneously. In the sense the child should be able to communicate his need to the people around him/her
without having to be prompted. Using AAC, if the child is not verbally communicating then one must introduce any of the various Augmentative Alternative Communication. Pick a method that is most suitable for the child.
A few of the examples of AACs are:
Voice Output AAC: A voice message is produced when the child hits a button. These can be as simple as a single manual button with a single message or a complicated as a touch screen with multiple folders.
Picture communication system: Some children find it easier to use pictures to communicate. This can also vary from simple picture books to complex PECS.
Sign Language: Some children find it helpful to communicate with their own body using a sign language. For still others this has been a bridging gap to faster oral communication.
2. Provide social instruction in different settings throughout the day
Children with Autism require some degree of social instruction. They find it hard to understand some socially acceptable behaviour. They may not know how to behave in various social settings. Direct Instruction of socially acceptable Behaviours. One must teach children that behaviour is a socially
acceptable in various situations. Teaching a child what is allowed and not acceptable in different settings. For young children this would include listening to the teacher, following instructions, providing eye-contact, etc.
Older children may have activities like group communication and being a good friend.
Some strategies that have proven to help with social instruction.
Visual supports: visual reminders to help the child understand what is expected of him/her in the
situation.
Social stories: books and stories to help child understand or teach him the expected behaviour in
various situations.
Video modelling: watching another child/person enacting the expected behaviour in the situation
helps with understanding.
3. Target peer interactions
Children with Autism have difficulties with peer interactions and hence his must be directly taught. The therapist may target different skills depending on the age and developmental level of the child.
Peer interaction skills for young children
For the children starting peer interactions
Play skills: encouraging and teaching the child to play and get along with other children.
Responding to name: teaching them to respond when someone calls their name.
Establishing joint attention: encouraging the child to pay attention to what others are doing around him.
To add or respond to the same accordingly.
Peer interaction skills for older children
For those having a difficult time interacting with their peers
Conversational skills: finding the specific skills the child is lacking in conversations and with communicating with other children/adults
Perspective-taking: helping the child put themselves in other’s shoes. Teach them to take the perspective of the other person.
4. Provide training and support to other adults, not just more speech minutes
The common saying from parents of children with Autism is that “My child needs more time with the speech therapist”. Rationally this makes sense as the speech therapist is helping the child to communicate but that’s not how this goes.
The trouble generalizing: Children with Autism have a hard time with generalizing their skills. Example: if a child learns to say “Hello” to the therapist alone on seeing them, does not mean they automatically learn to
generalize the same with every person they meet. Same goes for the environment/setting. The same skill needs to be practised in different settings.
5. Fine tune the communication skills as other areas improve
Once, the larger areas of communication are finding progress then therapist can move onto the finer/smaller aspects impacting the child’s communication. Some of these areas are grammatical errors, error in speech sounds, comprehending and responding to questions and answers and difficulties with figurative language.
