Pro Tips provided by Johanna Shaflucas, M.S.Ed., BCBA

Communication gives people the ability to ask for what they want and need. For individuals with autism or other developmental disabilities, communication may come in the form of verbal language, sign language, a device, or a picture exchange communication system (PECS). The following strategies are designed to foster and reinforce communication skills. 

1. The use of visual supports is a key strategy for reinforcing communication.

Individuals with autism often process visual information more effectively than verbal language. Visual supports can include: 

• A picture exchange communication system with pictures that represent words or concepts. For example, a child might select a picture of a hamburger to show that they are hungry.
• Visual schedules provide an outline of activities or routines throughout the day, with tasks like school, dinner, and bedtime represented by pictures or symbols. They help children understand what to expect which can reduce anxiety around transitions. A visual schedule for the morning may look like: get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, ride on the bus, go to school.  
• Emotion charts use faces with different expressions to help kids communicate their feelings. Many children may need prompting to identify their emotions—point to the emotion you’re observing in them and help them label it by asking, “Do you feel sad?” 

2. Prompting is another technique for building communication.

By demonstrating desired behaviors, you can help foster verbal language, gestures, and other forms of communication. For example, if a child is struggling to express asking for a toy, modeling might consist of signing, pointing to the picture of, or stating, “Toy.”  Over time, this modeling teaches how to initiate and respond to communication. 

3. Positive reinforcement is vital to supporting communication.

When a child successfully uses a communication method, whether it’s speaking, gesturing, or using a communication device, it’s important to provide immediate positive feedback. Praise, rewards, or access to preferred activities will motivate them to continue using communication in future interactions. 

Even if your child asks for something they cannot have in that moment, praise them for using their words to communicate and provide them with any alternatives that are available.

4. Finally, understand the difference between acknowledging and honoring communication.

Acknowledging is noticing and responding to a form of communication. If your child points to a book, you might ask if they want that book.  

Honoring means you not only acknowledge the communication, but you validate and respect it. Your response shows that their voice matters, even if you can’t give them what they want. For example, if your child communicates that they want to go to Disney World, you might say, “I hear you. I want to go to Disney World too, but we aren’t able to do that now. Would you like to play a game together?” 

Reinforcing communication involves a lot of patience and consistency. By using multiple strategies that focus on verbal and non-verbal forms of communication, you can help expand an individual’s ability to express themselves.