| This page is devoted to my personal opinions and | | | | student's higher-level communications and astounding |
| strategies for developing communication skills with a | | | | demonstrations of intelligence or access to it. When |
| subgroup of individuals - primarily with severe autism. | | | | applicable, have the child type the word on the (PECS) |
| Most are nonverbal, and demonstrate significant motor | | | | picture and hand me the communication device. Once |
| and sensory impairments. These strategies have also | | | | the child demonstrates that he understands the |
| proven effective with those who have some verbal | | | | relationship among words, pictures, and object or |
| capability but who have difficulty accessing their | | | | situations, let him type his requests on a voice output |
| words.(Mental prompts help with word access as do | | | | communication device. If he is not using a voice output |
| sentence closure techniques.) | | | | device, I have them hand me the communicator. At this |
| When engaging a child with these obvious challenges, it | | | | point, they may also switch to augmentative |
| is important to acknowledge his often overlooked | | | | communication programs such as Speaking |
| incredible gifts. The gifts referred to are; the ability to | | | | Dynamically Pro. (Speaking Dynamically Pro provides |
| join with others at a subconscious level, access the | | | | the visual impetus many of the kids need and material |
| universal field of thought, and pick up on subtle mental | | | | is often presented in categories.) Help the student |
| prompts. Keep your energy, calm yet assertive. Make | | | | become independent in as many settings as possible. |
| sure the child feels safe and protected. | | | | Do not limit the student's independence to intellectual |
| If done correctly, a sympathetic resonance occurs and | | | | and academic skills. Help him feel comfortable in his |
| a sense of trust is established. The child does not | | | | body, modulate movements, and decrease sensory |
| react to things that might normally bother him; routines | | | | irritants. This in turn, allows for a more active, healthy |
| can be disrupted; he goes with the flow, seemingly | | | | and integrated life. |
| relaxed and at one with you. Perhaps, a subconscious | | | | True independence in communication demands, no |
| blending of energy is occurring. After initial entrainment | | | | agent/facilitator in their proximity. Nonverbal students I |
| occurs, attempt to block out external thoughts and | | | | have seen do this demonstrate similar language |
| stay present and focused on the material and expect | | | | deficits as moderately functioning verbal individuals with |
| the student to do the same. | | | | autism- basic requesting, limited topics of interest, |
| One way to see if a subconscious connection has | | | | perseveration, excellent rote memory, semantic and |
| been made is to show the child two word cards to | | | | pragmatic difficulties. When joined with an agent or |
| see if he will choose the one you request. Sit in front | | | | facilitator, the level of their communications is |
| of the child, possibly even touching knees as you hold | | | | dramatically enhanced. |
| up two cards. (It helps to have some bodily contact. If | | | | Open minded scientists capable of exploring the |
| necessary, you may have someone stand behind him | | | | currently unexplainable spiritual aspects of union at a |
| to facilitate his movement of selecting the card similar | | | | soul level are drastically needed. Until then, our |
| to what PECS's (Picture Exchange System) protocol.) | | | | educational strategies will remain rudimentary. There is |
| This may be needed for a child who had not shown | | | | so much to learn. These students already demonstrate |
| any prior ability to select, and/or discriminate.) Visualize | | | | they have access to the universal mind and the |
| the word card and verbalize. If facing the student, | | | | memory banks others. It is just their inability to explain |
| picture the word in mirror image. (That way, the | | | | what they know in the context of their physical bodies |
| student will pick up the image using the correct left to | | | | that requires them to use a facilitator or agent. In truth, |
| right progression.) This may happen immediately or it | | | | it is probably the facilitator/ agent that limits and |
| may take months, but most every student will be able | | | | influences their communications. Broaden your |
| to do it if matched with a capable "agent" who is open | | | | perceptual beliefs, you will appreciate the depth and |
| to the possibility. | | | | breadth of their knowledge. It is a beginning, but we |
| When your intent is to teach, set a dominant, calm, yet | | | | have so much to learn! |
| assertive, rhythm. Tell the student to stop | | | | They have been eager and ready to teach us for |
| self-stimulatory behaviors and encourage him to focus | | | | years. |
| on you and the material. Begin by working from a field | | | | Suggestions: |
| of choices using word or picture cards. Initially, give the | | | | - Open your heart and join. Keep your emotions and |
| student a limited choice of possible responses. When | | | | energy calm, open, and loving. Truly love them and feel |
| he is proficient, expand the field. Say the word aloud | | | | blessed in their company. |
| as you send the image. This technique gives the | | | | - Approach with respect. Assume competency. |
| student a vehicle to stay on track and demonstrate his | | | | Acknowledge intelligence. |
| competence without becoming overwhelmed. Stimulus | | | | - Make sure they are comfortable. Be aware of |
| response-type instruction increases the attention and | | | | internal and external sensory irritant and attempt to |
| fluidity as opposed to inactive listening. | | | | alleviate them. (lights, sounds, smells, erratic interfering |
| Once he appears to be able to read a word by | | | | thoughts) |
| selecting it from a field of choices, I would then have | | | | - Provide positive sensory experiences. (deep |
| him select the word when the function was given. (I.e. | | | | pressure, joint compressions, massage, spinning, |
| what do you color with?) Next I might ask him "who | | | | swinging) |
| what/where/when/why" questions and again have | | | | - Realize that many self-stimulatory behaviors and |
| them select the correct word card - not only to check | | | | movements are used to get their bodies, sensory |
| comprehension but also to narrow his focus and | | | | systems, and brains to function and help them establish |
| hopefully help him form mental categories. Working | | | | an internal rhythm. Self stimulatory behavior may also |
| with categories can help the student filter and organize | | | | help the students block out external stimuli including the |
| information to help him develop his own mental filing | | | | thoughts of others. |
| cabinet. For example, if I ask a "who" question, | | | | - An organized body leads to an organized mind. |
| hopefully he would begin to process that I am looking | | | | Learning appropriate and varied movement patterns |
| for a person. If I ask a "where" question, then I am | | | | enhances all areas of function. |
| looking for a place. "What" would signal an object? | | | | - Let those who chose to, use you as a tool. It is often |
| "What" are they doing would signal a verb. If the child | | | | a step along the way. |
| has difficulty labeling, then I often start with actions, | | | | - Understand some individuals with severe autism |
| because there are less of them and their meaning is | | | | benefit from an agent with a strong rhythm to maintain |
| potent: i.e. eat, drink, play, jump. Mental prompts should | | | | their attention and override other interfering stimuli. Use |
| be faded as reading and language skills improve. | | | | this strong rhythm to deter interfering self -stimulatory |
| Words are constant, as are many communication | | | | behavior during direct instruction. |
| pictures used in the classroom. When teaching, the | | | | - Accept the fact that a form of telepathy or joined or |
| individual should be encouraged to demonstrate | | | | entangled energy is occurring. |
| concrete correlation and awareness. Integration, | | | | Empower them! Promote independence with dignity! |
| correlation, transfers amongst people and settings, | | | | Accept the unexpected! |
| generalization, and comprehension of underlying skills | | | | Strategies: |
| needs to continually be addressed. Although the lights | | | | - Meet each child at his level. |
| (abstract) are on in the attic, the foundation (concrete) | | | | - Provide visual strategies, motoring, and mental |
| is often very weak. | | | | prompts as needed to insure errorless teaching. |
| In direct contrast to teaching typical children or verbal, | | | | Remove, as needed using backward chaining |
| concrete-thinking autistic children, when working with | | | | techniques. |
| this subtype, start with the abstract, moving to the | | | | - Teach through out the day. Include children in all |
| representational and then to the concrete. Meet the | | | | conversations. Provide slow relaxed visual and |
| child in areas of abstract thought (words). The word | | | | auditory input throughout all activities. |
| (abstract) needs to be linked with a picture and the | | | | - Use sentence closure techniques for nonverbal or |
| picture (representational) with the object (concrete). | | | | those with limited verbal capability. |
| Just because the person with autism is often able to | | | | - Teach categories to help them develop an internal |
| pick out the word, does not mean that he can | | | | filing cabinet that limits choices. |
| demonstrate understanding of the picture or the actual | | | | - Provide motivating activities specific to each child to |
| object or activity. (This is an aspect of the phenomena | | | | increase initiations. |
| that is often ignored by proponents of FC and/or | | | | - Make sure the child correlates the abstract (word, |
| RPM.) Can this inability be explained by vibration | | | | sign) representational (picture) concrete (object). |
| frequency? (Thoughts of words travel faster than | | | | - Remember; with severe students who have a |
| pictures, and three dimensional objects or situation the | | | | propensity toward hyperlexia, the word may be |
| slowest.) Is it just image consistency of the written | | | | learned first. |
| word? Is it possible that with a three-dimensional object | | | | - Teach simple understanding of parts of speech by |
| can't be sent and received as easily? Or is it simply | | | | having the children answer simple "who," "what," |
| that actual objects vary so much in terms of | | | | "where," and "when." questions about a sentence in |
| attributes? These are just some of the many complex | | | | hopes of internally limiting possible responses, thus |
| questions that need to to be investigated. | | | | promoting easier access. |
| Be aware of the influence you can have over their | | | | - Repetition is key, particularly if movement is involved. |
| communications, intentionally or not. Supplement this | | | | Yet, be willing to move on if the children indicate the |
| form of communication with PECS. PECS encourages | | | | need. |
| spontaneity and is less dependent on an agent or | | | | Speak out on the truth of your experience! It is my |
| facilitator. PECS also serves as a preliminary step to | | | | hope that someday these remarkable individuals will be |
| augmentative communication devices and programs. | | | | respected authorities as they join consciousness with |
| Adept students do not need their partner to be within | | | | the brightest and best in respective fields. |
| certain proximity to use it. However, PECS restricts the | | | | |