One of the questions that I’m most faced with is, how do you get nonverbal children to talk, or to talk more? The first thing you need to understand is that most people’s definition of nonverbal is inaccurate.
Everyone is verbal… even if they’re not necessarily vocal. If a child can cry or reach for things, they are being verbal. And I get excited if they can say even a few words or make a few sounds because I do know how to get children to become more vocal using verbal behavior. And it’s imperative that your child is able to develop verbal language skills—it’s the easiest way for both child and parent or professional to communicate. If you want to improve echoic control with children with autism then, check out my podcast on building echoic control in children with autism.
I’m going to share information with you that hopefully will set you on the right path. I understand that teaching a child to talk and language skills sounds like a difficult undertaking, but some of the first steps are rather simple. For example, it’s very important that your child drinks from a straw or an open cup, as it encourages development of their oral motor system. That means sippy cups, bottles and pacifiers are OUT!
Of course, speech might not always be your number one priority. A dangerous problem behavior would certainly take precedence over speech, but good news: developing verbal communication skills is known to reduce problem behaviors!
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