How To Teach Non-Verbal Kids with Autism in the classroom or at home.
In this blog post we’ll look at what it non-verbal autism means, and how to support and teach kids with autism who are not yet verbal, in your special education classroom or homeschool.
A child, teen, or adult with autism who is currently unable to speak may be described as having non-verbal autism, or being pre-verbal. But what exactly does that mean and what can we do to help these individuals? Let’s take a look at some of the most common questions people ask about nonverbal autism.
What is nonverbal autism?
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects a person’s communication skills, social skills, and self-regulation. Non-verbal means not being able to speak. It is estimated that around 40 percent of individuals with autism are considered nonverbal.
Your non-verbal students or child might have lots they actually want to say to you, but they are not yet able to get words to come out of their mouth. As you can imagine, not being able to communicate with parents, siblings, teachers and friends through speech can be very frustrating.
If your students or child with autism can say a few familiar words or short phrases they might be described as being minimally verbal.
What causes nonverbal autism?
Some people with autism who have difficulty talking have apraxia of speech (also called verbal apraxia) — a speech sound disorder where the brain has difficulty planning and sequencing the movements needed to correctly produce sound.
Low muscle tone and difficulties with motor planning are other factors which can make the physical movements required for speech difficult for some autistic children.
Although speech delays and difficulties are often more common in children with autism who have higher support needs, they are not necessarily caused by an intellectual disability. Some people with autism who are nonverbal or minimally verbal — for example, Tito Mukhopadhyay — have written books, or are in employment.
At what age is a child with autism considered non-verbal?
Children typically begin to speak using simple, single words when they are about one year old. They are expected to reach the milestone of using two-word combinations (for example, ‘red car’, or ‘big cup’) at about two years old. Children who have no speech by age two or three would therefore be considered nonverbal.
However, parents sometimes have their concerns about their child’s language delay dismissed and their child labeled as simply a ‘slow talker’. These kids might reach the age of four or five before they are officially acknowledged as being nonverbal.
Can non-verbal children with autism learn to speak?
Yes, many non-verbal autistic children do eventually learn to speak!
With speech and language therapy, and/or intensive language input at home from parents and other therapists, many nonverbal kids with autism will begin to develop some speech.
My son (my middle child) was diagnosed with autism at two years old. His paediatrician and speech therapist told me that he’d never be able to speak. They believed that there was no point in me even trying to teach my son to speak. I disagreed.
Although not super chatty, my son (now an adult) is more than able to use his voice to communicate his needs and wants. In fact, he’s rather bossy, and enjoys frequently reminding me when I’ve forgotten to do something!
We didn’t have access to any early intervention services, ABA therapists, or autism specialists when my son was growing up, so I used my experience and skills as a teacher, as well as my extensive research on classic autism, to start teaching my son to speak.
How is nonverbal autism treated?
Services to help nonverbal children and adults with autism vary depending on where you live, and the training which autism professionals have had. Many families opt to use Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to teach their children to speak. Other families might choose to use therapies such as Do Autism Differently (formerly The Son-Rise Program) to work on social engagement and relationship skills.
Speech and language therapists can help kids and adults with learning vocabulary and with the mechanics of speech (how to produce speech sounds).
Occupational therapists can work on motor planning activities. This will help kids’ brains to plan the movements they need to sequence sounds to make words (for example c-a-t ⇒cat).
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can be used in addition to teaching speech so that nonverbal children and adults have an alternative means of communication. Sign language can also be helpful to use alongside speech activities. Teaching Receptive language skills (ie understanding the language you hear or read) can help children with autism build their vocabulary and comprehension skills.
How do you communicate with a non-verbal autistic child?
Firstly, never assume that your non-verbal students or child with autism cannot understand anything you say. Always make the effort to communicate with them by using speech, sign language, AAC, or symbols.
Use language which is clear, specific, and unambiguous, but don’t talk baby talk.
Leaving a long pause after you speak allows a the child with autism time to process what you are saying, and to respond if they wish to. Children with autism are often slower at processing information than their peers. Autism expert Dr. Temple Grandin (who is autistic) uses the analogy of the autistic brain being like a computer with a slower internet speed.
If you need to repeat yourself when speaking to your students or kid with autism, either use the same words or slightly simplify what you say. Changing the meaning of what you say when you repeat instructions or questions to a child with autism means they will need to start processing it all over again.
How can we help nonverbal children?
One of the best ways to help non-verbal children and teens with autism is to provide them with a language-rich environment. Continuing to talk and communicate with them (but not overwhelming them with our language) will make it easier for them to develop speech even if there is no response initially.
Nonverbal autism classroom or homeschool activities:
Parents, families, teachers, and therapists can use a wide range of fun and engaging activities to help develop the speech and language skills of a nonverbal child with autism. Ideas include:
Singing songs
Playing simple turn taking games
Labelling items around the house or classroom with words
Using vocabulary cards in a fun way
Reading books
Physical play such as jumping on a trampoline while saying rhymes
Throwing a ball back & forth while counting or making funny sounds
Playing with puppets
Dramatic play/playing pretend
Talking to your child regularly throughout the day (being careful not to ask them lots of questions).
What are the best toys for non-verbal autism?
There is no single game or toy which will magically teach a nonverbal child with autism to speak. However, with a little creativity, almost anything that your child likes to play with can be used to develop verbal communication skills. The best toys and activities are always the ones that the child is most interested in and will have the most fun with. However, it’s hard for teachers and parents to compete with the draw of electronics & gadgets, so you might decide to limit their use in your classroom or home environment.
It’s important to remember that an individual not yet being able to speak doesn’t necessarily mean that they are young for their age in other ways. Try to avoid buying toys that the your child or teen feels are too babyish for them.
Resources to check out
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Kirsten