You would probably agree with me that one of the hardest things about working in special needs is when a child is non-verbal and unable to communicate what they think and feel. I often try to imagine what a frustrating and lonely life these children must lead. After all it is our ability to communicate that enables us to develop good emotional health and form relationships with others.
It has been my experience that a non-verbal child with special needs has a wealth of thoughts and feelings to share. It is up to us to interpret their non-verbal communication and give it meaning. In order to help the child express him/herself we have to ensure that we fill their communication ‘toolbox’ with as many tools as necessary. This is called total communication! There are so many creative ways to reach a child at their level but it’s a great start to be aware of the basic ones.
Babbling and responsive ‘noise making’ is an important first step in communicating on a very basic level. I can’t help but think of the importance of the ‘intensive interaction’ method which is a particularly helpful communication method to use with children with profound intellectual disabilities.
Eye contact is also an essential part of communication development. If you’ve grown impatient with slow progress in this area and can’t bring yourself to say the words, “look at me”, one more time it has perhaps become time for you to switch to a gestural prompt instead. When offering the child an object, food, toys or picture hold it up close to the side of your face to give him/her the opportunity to meet your eyes briefly.
Another crucial communication tool to equip the child with is choice making. This is a great way to empower a non-verbal child and give them some (guided) control over their life. This is a very big topic to discuss in only a few brief lines but suffice it to say that the PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) guidelines are an excellent resource (available online). It is up to you to measure your child’s capacity to learn and whether you should use symbols or photos.
To bring this communication discussion to a conclusion I’ll leave you with the following thought: ‘In special needs one should never assume that a child will naturally develop a skill. Most communication skills are learnt skills and will need to be deliberately taught.’ So give it all you’ve got!