Autism and Communication

The American Psychiatric Association (http://www.psychiatry.org/autism) in the DSM IV defines Autism as:
"Autism Spectrum Disorders* are a range of complex developmental disorders that can cause problems with thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others. They are neurological disorders, which means they affect the functioning of the brain.  How autism disorders affect a person and the severity of symptoms are different in each person."

"Students with Autism may have:

http://www.psychiatry.org/autism

Communication problems – difficulty using or understanding language. Some children with autism focus their attention and conversation on a few topics, some frequently repeat phrases, and some have very limited speech." 

The Autism Society of America (http://www.autism-society.org/living-with-autism/treatment-options/approaches-to-communication.html) recommends the identification of the specific area of communication that may be weak.  Speech pathologists are trained to be identify the specific areas of need and they can not only remediate within clinical or school settings, they can also provide suggestions for parents to use in the home. Communication involves complex skills that allow people to ask questions, tell stories and have conversations and most importantly, communicate their needs.  The Autism Society published a brief guide with suggestions for how to address communication needs.  Some ways that teachers address the students is through this guide, that addresses how "Neurotypicals can Communicate with Individuals on the Autism Spectrum."I especially like the suggestion about using idioms. Many people on the spectrum are concrete thinkers, and idioms are really challenging.

Some tools that have been seen as helpful are:

Break Cards: These are great because at times a person with Autism may know they need a break but will not be able to express that without having a negative behavior.  The person may seem agitated or confused - keeping the cards in close proximity and prompting the person to use them may be a great way to avoid negative behaviors.

Choice Cards: Everyone likes to be given a choice.  For people who cannot communicate their needs and negotiate for themselves, this is especially important.  So, they can select from predetermined possibilities that are perhaps held together by a word ring and readily accessible.  

Past Event Cards: These cards can help with meaningful communication, recalling past events and can be very personally meaningful for the child and their families.  It can help with telling stories and bonding as well as recalling information if the student has a weakness in their memory.