According to a document published by Autism Speaks, “Supporting Learningin the Student with Autism”, a person diagnosed with autism goes through many
challenges when trying to communicate properly. For example, people with autism
have difficulties: taking in and processing information, picking up on
non-verbal clues, interpreting what someone is saying, and reading and
writing. People with autism yearn to be
able to communicate with their family and peers but it takes them longer to
process the information and often require a different way of comprehending the
message that is trying to be delivered.
Due to the
communication and social deficits a person with autism has, they often require
a speech pathologist when they are in school.
The speech pathologist plays an important role in their individualized
education program as they will help them with their communication skills. If a student is diagnosed as nonverbal, the
speech pathologist will assist in finding another way of communication for that
student. Whether it be through sign language, a Picture Exchange Communication
System (PECs), or another language device. Temple Grandin, an adult who
struggled in school with autism as a child, provides tips on teaching language
to students with autism in her article “Teaching Tips for Children and Adults with Autism”. Although Grandin was fully verbal, she explains how nonverbal
students should be provided with pictures and flash cards in order to learn and
associate words with their pictures and signs for those words.
Nonverbal children rely
mostly on sign language in order to communicate. According to Kaufman and Kasper, the best way to teach sign language is to repeat the word and sign for
the child several times. This allows the students to hear the word and learn
the sign for it, eventually leading to the child recalling the word. Using
positive reinforcement during the learning process will lead to the students
being more motivated and wanting to learn, as students are usually motivated
when being reinforced. I agree with this way of teaching sign language as repetition makes the brain process things faster.
Everyone has the desire
to interact with others, but students with autism do not have the proper skills
to engage appropriately with others.
Offering visual supports and cue cards will help develop an
understanding of language and the words being described. As a teacher it is
important to be aware of echolalia, which is when a student repeats phrases he
has heard before. Some students with autism have an incredible recall memory
and are able to just repeat things they have heard before in certain
situations. With constant visual supports and spoken language to the students,
they will begin to learn the words, even if they cannot speak them.
Students with autism
have difficulties acquiring language as they also have difficulties picking up
on many visual clues and take longer to process information. With the help of a speech pathologist and effective
teachers, nonverbal children can become fully communicative whether by sign
language or using a device. I witnessed a child with autism enter preschool as
nonverbal, and exit third grade as a fully verbal child. That example shows how a great speech
pathologist and teachers can truly help a child.
