| Autism Communication Skills | | | | Back to the 'what ifs'... What if your child could |
| Imagine not being able to speak. Imagine knowing | | | | speak? They could tell you what hurt and if they |
| information and not being able to share it or hurting | | | | were upset. What a wonderful thing. But there was |
| and not being able to tell anyone where. These are | | | | still something missing. |
| some of the reasons communication is so critical to | | | | One day you offered your child macaroni and cheese. |
| everyone. | | | | They were not happy. They pitched a tantrum. You |
| Now complicate the inability to communicate with | | | | have no idea why. Unknown to you and me your |
| uncomfortable. Think of the uncomfortable scratching | | | | child wanted steak. They really, really wanted steak. |
| of the clothes on your body. Do you balance your | | | | Your child with Autism did not have the words to |
| body on the hard surface of a chair? What if you did | | | | say that even though they loved macaroni and |
| not understand how to shift to relieve the pressure? | | | | cheese, today they wanted steak. How frustrating. |
| Now think of sounds. Do you hear the soft hiss of a | | | | Even when our children have words, they need to be |
| heater or the whisper of a fan? Some children with | | | | taught to truly communicate with those words. Even |
| Autism hear the same hiss as a deafening spitting | | | | though behavior is a form of communication we are |
| sound or the fan as a booming chugging sound. | | | | not giving our child all the tools if they do not use |
| Those sounds and others cause pain and | | | | words in some manner. It might be spoken word, |
| disorientation. | | | | signed words, communication boards, communication |
| Now think of what it would be like if some how, | | | | tools or what ever to express themselves. |
| some way you could tell someone about this. You | | | | From these forms of communication we can go on |
| could tell them what hurt or what was loud. You | | | | to other communication skills. One of those is being |
| could tell them you were scared you would fall off | | | | polite in conversation, another one is making small |
| that chair. What a relief. This is part of the reasons | | | | talk, and still another one is making comparisons. The |
| communication in any shape, fashion, or form is so | | | | list can go on. Communication is so important for so |
| important to a child with Autism. Not for ourselves as | | | | many reasons. |
| parents but for them. Autism Communication Skills | | | | |