Monthly Archives: November 2020

Encouraging Communication in Children Who Are Nonverbal

In childhood, you learn that communication is the key to developing satisfying relationships. Communication is also how people express themselves; it’s how they relay thoughts, feelings, fears, needs and wants. So, what happens to communication when a child is nonverbal?
Being nonverbal is often associated with autism, but it’s a condition that can accompany other types of special needs including cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and some learning disabilities. A nonverbal person’s lack of speech can have a significant effect on the way they interact with family, friends and caregivers.

Here are some things to know about how to understand and connect with children and adolescents who are nonverbal.

Nonverbal Communication Is Still Communication

Most children who are nonverbal will learn how to communicate in some way, but it might not always be through spoken language. It’s important to remember that even though a child might not be able to speak, nonverbal communication (such as body language, facial expressions, writing or motioning) is still communication. And because every child is unique, it might take parents, teachers and caregivers a long time to determine which strategies work best for each child who is nonverbal. Some communication strategies include visual supports like picture books and flashcards and assistive technologies.

Some Children Eventually Develop Language

Promoting language development in children who are nonverbal is something parents, teachers and caregivers strive to do each and every day. The good news is, recent research offers a number of effective strategies that are giving hope to families everywhere. The strategies can be complicated and extensive, but below are simplified versions of a few that might be helpful.

1. Use simple language. It’s important to speak in a way that your child can understand. Autism Speaks suggests using the “one up rule.” For example, if your child is completely nonverbal, try using one word at a time. Instead of calling something an “apple tree” simply call it a “tree. ” When playing with a ball, simply say words like “ball” or “roll” as you’re rolling the ball. If your child is able to speak in one word phrases, then you should try two word phrases like “roll ball” or “throw ball.” This strategy helps children who are nonverbal push harder, but at a pace that works for them.
2. Leave space for communication. When you’re speaking with a friend or colleague, and the conversation naturally dies down, do you quickly think of something else to say just to fill the silence? Although it may ease the awkwardness, it’s very important not to do that when communicating with a child who is nonverbal. When you notice your child wants something, or after you ask a question, pause for a bit and look expectantly at the child. Watch for sounds or body movements, and then respond right away. The fact that you responded so quickly to your child’s style of communication will help them understand the back and forth nature of communication.
3. Find simple ways to enjoy your child’s company. Some parents of autistic children or children who are nonverbal find themselves searching for clues as to who their children are, what they need, and how to help them. It’s important to find simple, fun ways to connect with your child and really enjoy their company. When you relax, your child relaxes, and that can go a long way toward making a communication breakthrough. The safer and more comfortable your child feels with you, the easier it will be for them to communicate. Who knows, you might just find answers where you least expect them.

Playtime Is Important

All children, but especially children who are nonverbal, learn a lot through play. Some children even learn a lot of their language skills while playing with other kids. Finding interactive ways for your child to play is a great way to encourage language progression. Again, there are many theories on how to go about this, but here are some we think are worth looking at closely.

1. Focus on activities that encourage social interaction. Activities like singing, dancing, reciting nursery rhymes, physical games and even gentle roughhousing can promote communication. Playing with a variety of toys, like hula hoops, marbles, water beads, play dough, bean bags, Legos and dolls can help prevent the child from fixating on one specific toy.
2. Tactile experiences are important too. Make sure your child has the opportunity to play with a variety of toys like balls, play dough and blocks, all with different textures, shapes and colors. Make playing an interactive, educational experience by using a variety of colors and reviewing the color names as you play. Staying close to your child during play time can help them focus in case their minds start to wander.
3. Try imitation games and cause-and-effect toys. Imitation is a type of social play that isn’t very complex. Asking a child who is nonverbal to engage in imitation play like Simon Says can be a great way for them to socialize and build communication skills. Cause and effect toys are also important because they teach a child that when they do something, it causes a reaction. This helps create a positive sense of self awareness, and helps motivate the child to “cause” the “effect” again and again.

If you are a parent or caregiver struggling to communicate with a child who is nonverbal, be sure to talk with your care provider to see if they might have strategies or suggestions you haven’t tried yet. With any strategy, it is important to remain calm and patient. Children who are nonverbal, especially autistic children, are like sponges, soaking in and subsequently mirroring the emotions and moods of those around them. The more stressed and anxious a parent becomes, the more stressed out the child will be, and the more difficult any type of communication will become. But when parents learn to calm themselves first, it can do wonders for them and the child.

Communicating with a child who is nonverbal takes commitment, flexibility, persistence and patience and it’s important for parents and caregivers to trust their intuition. As parents and caregivers become calmer, their intuitions will start to kick in and help them see how their child is communicating

Nonverbal Communication in Children – Why Body Language Is So Important for Development

We all know the importance of our body language as adults. An eye roll, a shrug, a smile – all of these nonverbal signs play an important part in how we communicate with and understand the feelings of those around us.

One study even reported that up to 93% of all communication is non-verbal! That’s a lot of communicating we’re doing without even opening our mouths.

But have you ever thought about the importance of non-verbal communication in child development?

Nonverbal communication with a child at a young age has a big effect on their relationships with friends and family. It can also play a significant part in their emotional development and sense of self-worth.

Helping your child to develop good nonverbal communication skills is sure to make them a better listener and give them the skills needed to express their own emotions in a clear and mature way.

How can body language improve communication in kids?

So, how can teaching good nonverbal communication, and practicing it as often as possible, improve your kid’s communication skills?

Well, let’s use an example you might encounter quite a lot:

“Please can you tidy your room?”

Have you ever asked this question, only to be ignored? Probably.

But your nonverbal communication in this scenario can play an important part in how your kid responds to you. If you’re already annoyed or frustrated, your child might pick up on this from your body language – and respond badly as a result.

Getting down to your child’s level, making eye contact, smiling, and using a calm tone might just get your child to really listen to what you’re asking them to do – which can work wonders!

Practicing best-practice nonverbal communication with children can, therefore, help you to form a better parent-child relationship.

Good nonverbal communication will show your child that they’re really important to you. By focusing on your child and giving them your full attention, you’ll be improving their sense of self-worth, too.

What’s more, kids always mirror our behavior – so you’ll be helping your child to develop their own nonverbal communication skills as well. This’ll improve their listening skills, emotional intelligence, and empathy – which will help your little one to build meaningful relationships with others as they grow up.

5 nonverbal communication methods

So, what kinds of things count as nonverbal communication? There’s a good chance that you’re already doing a lot of them, without even realizing it!

1.   Body movement

The way we move and carry ourselves can tell our children a lot about how we’re feeling about a situation.

If your kid sees you crossing your arms, slouching, or facing the opposite direction when they’re talking to you, they’ll quickly realize you’re not interested.

Instead, make sure you’re sitting up straight, facing in your child’s direction, or bending down to their level. This shows your child that you’re interested in what they’re doing or showing you and paying them your full attention.

2.   Touch

Physical touch is a nonverbal communication method that children really respond well to.

Hugs and kisses are a big part of how we make our children feel safe and loved. Touch can say a thousand things without actually saying anything.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how important physical touch actually is – so try and keep it in mind when you’re interacting with your child.

A gentle hand on their arm, a hug when they’re upset, or a kiss to show you appreciate them can make the world of difference.

It’s also a brilliant way to develop your child’s own nonverbal communication. It shows them that gentle touch is the correct way to interact with others. It also teaches that using touch in the wrong way when they’re angry is not acceptable.

3.   Eye contact

Making eye contact with your child when they’re speaking to you is an excellent way to show you’re listening to and engaged in what they’re saying.

Eye contact is also a vital nonverbal communication skill for kids to develop at an early age. It’ll help them to build better relationships with others, connect with friends on a meaningful level, appear more confident, and – as an adult – perform well in interviews and presentations.

Make sure to use eye contact with your child as often and frequently as possible – when you ask them questions, when you talk to them about their day, and especially when they come to you with a problem.

4.   Facial expressions

As adults, we know that facial expressions can provide a lot of insight into what someone is thinking – often even more so than the words they’re saying!

Try to be aware of what your face is saying when you’re interacting with your child. If they’re telling you a story or need some encouragement, smiling and widening your eyes can go a long way.

At the same time, if you’re not happy with something your child is doing – let your face do the talking. Your child will quickly realize when you’re telling them off with a frown.

5.   Space

Space is something that we might not immediately think about when considering our nonverbal communication.

But have you ever felt uncomfortable when someone has invaded your space during a conversation?

Teaching your child how to correctly use space in their nonverbal communication is crucial. Show them the importance of giving people personal space, but also teach them how they can comfort people with a close hug.

Having an understanding of space as a nonverbal communication method plays a big part in your child’s development.

Developing good nonverbal communication in kids is a great way to help them understand their own and others’ emotions

If you’re looking for some additional ways to help your little one understand how they, or the people around them, are feeling, try out our Mood Examples and Worksheets.

It’s also a good idea to teach your child that other children they meet might struggle with their nonverbal communication. Our World Autism Awareness Day Facts & Worksheets are a great starting point when explaining autism to your child.

Non-Verbal Children Up to 6 Years of Age

Mar242020

Many conditions can hinder a child’s speech, including autism, cerebral palsy, dyspraxia, learning difficulties and selective mutism.

Communication is bigger than speech, though. You can help your non-verbal child communicate in many ways, using gestures, signs, assistive technology and words.

Parenting a non-verbal child can be frustrating and distressing but don’t give up hope – many kids do learn how to communicate more clearly and there are some key ways to help at home.

Non-Verbal Children up to 6 Years of Age

There’s usually a moment, near a child’s first birthday, when they delight their family by speaking their first clear word. Hearing those goo-goo-ga-ga babbles turn into a recognisable attempt at ‘Mamma’ or ‘Dadda’ is a special moment for many parents.

But what happens when the moment doesn’t come?

At first you probably reminded yourself that children develop at their own pace and some begin speaking later than others. Then, when faced with a non-verbal toddler or non-verbal child, you probably went to see a doctor to find out why. Eventually, you were told that your child has a condition affecting their ability to speak. You may have known about this since they were very young (at birth, even) or you may still be processing the news.

Your child is a wonderful, special person with their own unique personality. They will be trying to communicate in various ways. And there are many ways you can help, which will be explained below. But first, let’s look at the reasons some children may be non-verbal and understand the difference between communication and language.

Why Is My Child Non-Verbal?

There are many conditions that can affect a child’s speech. Some common ones are:

• Non-verbal autism or minimally verbal autism, which impairs social interactions
• Verbal dyspraxia, which means a child can’t control their mouth, tongue and jaw movements well enough to speak
• Learning disabilities that affect language development
• Non-verbal learning disorder, a neurological condition that makes it hard to understand information
• Phonological disorders, which make it hard for your child to make speech sounds
• Cerebral palsy, a physical disability affecting movement
• Selective mutism, an anxiety disorder that causes your child not to speak.

The Difference Between Communication and Language

We communicate in many different ways and for different purposes. We might use words to communicate or we might use other tools like facial expressions or body language. We might blow a kiss to demonstrate affection, pull a face to express our dislike of cabbage soup, make eye contact to share a private joke, or point to indicate a certain place.

Language, on the other hand, relies on words, whether they’re spoken, written down or signed. Your child may learn how to use some spoken language. Many children with non-verbal autism, for example, do prove capable of speech. One study of over 500 children aged 8-17 with severe language delays due to autism found that nearly half became fluent speakers and two-thirds learned how to speak in simple phrases.

Even if your child doesn’t gain language skills, they can still be helped to communicate using Augmentative and Alternative Communication. This might be aided by software or objects, or might be unaided, relying on tools like eye contact, facial expression, signs and gestures.

When is Non-Verbal Autism Diagnosed? Find Out.

How Can I Help My Non-Verbal Child to Communicate?

Think of your child’s communication skills like a staircase. They are not likely to leap from the bottom step to the top. Instead, the goal is to start where they are now and move them up a step at a time. They may not reach the top, but they will have made progress.

Here are some strategies to encourage communication with your non-verbal child. As mentioned above, there are many conditions that can hinder children’s speech. This advice is of a general nature only, but may still be beneficial in the run-up to seeing a speech pathologist.

1. Communicate Non-Verbally

Non-verbal communication may be an end in itself or it may be a bridge to using language. We all rely on non-verbal communication everyday when we wave goodbye, smile at a friend or roll our eyes at a bad joke. These are valuable ways of communicating.

You can encourage your child’s non-verbal communication by modelling it yourself. Use expressive hand gestures, clap to give praise, point to the toy when you say ‘There’s your bear’, shake your head when you say ‘No’ and nod it when you say ‘Yes’.

2. Describe Things and Activities

Talk to your child often. Not an endless stream of pointless chatter but a deliberate effort to use certain simple words and phrases when interacting with your child.

When you’re playing together, add in some descriptive words like, ‘Here is the red duck. Here is the blue duck’. Or play sorting games where you organise things by size (big or little) or colour. You are adding to their language bank each time.

3. The Copycat Game

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but it’s also a great way to interact with a non-verbal child. If your child makes a noise, then copy them and make a new noise of your own. Maybe they’ll copy yours. It’s the beginning of wordless communication using sounds.

4. Pause

In any conversation, people take turns speaking and listening. Because communicating with a non-verbal child can be slow and frustrating, there’s an easy temptation to rush on and fill the gaps for them. Try to take a few deep breaths and wait for their response, whatever it might be. If you’ve asked, ‘Would you like an apple?’ they might, in time, nod or point to the fruit bowl or shake their head and open the fridge to get a yogurt.

5. Make the Most of Technology

One of the wonders of the digital age is the way it enables people with language difficulties to communicate and deepen relationships with others.

Assistive technology may help a non-verbal child express themselves – and you may be surprised at what they know and how much they want to say! Your persistent descriptions, games and non-verbal communications may mean they do in fact know their colours or can reveal a cheeky sense of humour.

If your child has an NDIS Plan, it may include funding for assistive technology. If it doesn’t, and you think it would be beneficial, then you may be able to get it included in next year’s plan.

It is a great joy to watch a child learn how to express themselves and connect with others. The main message, really, is not to give up hope. Many children do learn to communicate, whether that’s using speech, assistive technology or other communication methods. We don’t yet know your child’s communication potential but we look forward to helping your family make progress to easier and deeper communication.

Get in contact with the friendly team at SpeechEase Speech Therapy today to discuss the options available for your child.

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Teaching nonverbal autistic children to talk

March 19, 2013

Still among our most popular advice posts, the following article was co-authored by Autism Speaks’s first chief science officer, Geri Dawson, who is now director of the Duke University Center for Autism and Brain Development; and clinical psychologist Lauren Elder.

Researchers published the hopeful findings that, even after age 4, many nonverbal children with autism eventually develop language. 

For good reason, families, teachers and others want to know how they can promote language development in nonverbal children or teenagers with autism. The good news is that research has produced a number of effective strategies.

But before we share our “top tips,” it’s important to remember that each person with autism is unique. Even with tremendous effort, a  strategy that works well with one child or teenager may not work with another. And even though every person with autism can learn to communicate, it’s not always through spoken language. Nonverbal individuals with autism have much to contribute to society and can live fulfilling lives with the help of visual supports and assistive technologies.

Here are our top seven strategies for promoting language development in nonverbal children and adolescents with autism:

1. Encourage play and social interaction.  Children learn through play, and that includes learning language. Interactive play provides enjoyable opportunities for you and your child to communicate. Try a variety of games to find those your child enjoys. Also try playful activities that promote social interaction. Examples include singing, reciting nursery rhymes and gentle roughhousing. During your interactions, position yourself in front of your child and close to eye level – so it’s easier for your child to see and hear you.
2. Imitate your child. Mimicking your child’s sounds and play behaviors will encourage more vocalizing and interaction. It also encourages your child to copy you and take turns. Make sure you imitate how your child is playing – so long as it’s a positive behavior. For example, when your child rolls a car, you roll a car. If he or she crashes the car, you crash yours too. But don’t imitate throwing the car!
3. Focus on nonverbal communication. Gestures and eye contact can build a foundation for language. Encourage your child by modeling and responding these behaviors. Exaggerate your gestures. Use both your body and your voice when communicating – for example, by extending your hand to point when you say “look” and nodding your head when you say “yes.” Use gestures that are easy for your child to imitate. Examples include clapping, opening hands, reaching out arms, etc. Respond to your child’s gestures: When she looks at or points to a toy, hand it to her or take the cue for you to play with it. Similarly, point to a toy you want before picking it up.
4. Leave “space” for your child to talk. It’s natural to feel the urge to fill in language when a child doesn’t immediately respond. But it’s so important to give your child lots of opportunities to communicate, even if he isn’t talking. When you ask a question or see that your child wants something, pause for several seconds while looking at him expectantly. Watch for any sound or body movement and respond promptly. The promptness of your response helps your child feel the power of communication.
5. Simplify your language. Doing so helps your child follow what you’re saying. It also makes it easier for her to imitate your speech. If your child is nonverbal, try speaking mostly in single words. (If she’s playing with a ball, you say “ball” or “roll.”) If your child is speaking single words, up the ante. Speak in short phrases, such as “roll ball” or “throw ball.” Keep following this “one-up” rule: Generally use phrases with one more word than your child is using.

6. Follow your child’s interests. Rather than interrupting your child’s focus, follow along with words. Using the one-up rule, narrate what your child is doing. If he’s playing with a shape sorter, you might say the word “in” when he puts a shape in its slot. You might say “shape” when he holds up the shape and “dump shapes” when he dumps them out to start over. By talking about what engages your child, you’ll help him learn the associated vocabulary.

7. Consider assistive devices and visual supports. Assistive technologies and visual supports can do more than take the place of speech. They can foster its development. Examples include devices and apps with pictures that your child touches to produce words. On a simpler level, visual supports can include pictures and groups of pictures that your child can use to indicate requests and thoughts. For more guidance on using visual supports, see Autism Speaks ATN/AIR-P Visual Supports Tool Kit.

Your child’s therapists are uniquely qualified to help you select and use these and other strategies for encouraging language development. Tell the therapist about your successes as well as any difficulties you’re having. By working with your child’s intervention team, you can help provide the support your child needs to find his or her unique “voice.”

Autism Speaks continues to fund research on therapies that promote language development as well as supports and services that can improve communication and quality of life for nonverbal individuals.  

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Nonverbal communication affect in children

. 1975 Apr;31(4):644-53.

doi: 10. 1037/h0077071.

R Buck

• PMID:

  1159612

• DOI:

  10.1037/h0077071

R Buck.

J Pers Soc Psychol.

1975 Apr.

. 1975 Apr;31(4):644-53.

doi: 10.1037/h0077071.

Author

R Buck

• PMID:

  1159612

• DOI:

  10.1037/h0077071

Abstract

A paradign was tested for measuting the tendency of children to send accurate nonverbal signals to others via spontaneous facial expressions and gestures. This paradign was derived from studies on adults that suggest that women are more accurate nonverbal “sendres” than men in certain situations. Eighteeen male and 11 female preschoolers (aged 4 to 6 years) watched a series of emotionally loaded color slides while they were observed via a hidden television camera by their mothers. Results indicated that significant overall communciation occurred, with large individual differences in “sending ability” between children. There was no evidence of a large sex difference in sending ability in choldren, although on one measure girls were more accurate senders than boys when viewed by undergraduates. Sending ability was positively related to teacher’s ratings of activity level, aggressiveness, impulsiveness, bossiness, sociability, etc., and negatively related ti shyness, cooperation, emotional inhibition and control, etc.

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6 Strategies – Encouraging a Non-Verbal Child to Communicate

As a parent of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, one of the biggest challenges you could face relates to one of the most fundamental aspects of being a doting parent: understanding your child’s wants and needs.

You want nothing more in this world than to be able to know when your child is hungry and what they would like to eat… or when they need some extra attention and comforting. You might struggle to tell whether your child is amused with the things going on around them… or scared and bewildered. You might find yourself unsure of whether your child feels comfortable and secure in an unfamiliar environment… or anxious and apprehensive.

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Without knowing when your child is hungry or cold or feeling insecure or frightened, it might feel impossible to be the best parent you can be. For many parents, this is a scary situation that comes with a lot of worry. Having a child with autism makes this difficult enough, but if your child is non-verbal the challenges are compounded. This could easily become something that keeps you up at night.

It was a long held belief that children who remained non-verbal after the age of four would never speak, but a 2013 study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics showed there was reason to hold out hope. The study looked at 500 children and concluded that non-verbal kids can, in fact, learn to speak later in life, with some developing language skills and a surprising level of fluency even in their teenage years.

This means that engaging a non-verbal child doesn’t necessarily mean being resigned to non-verbal methods of communication forever. New breakthroughs have shown that you can actually use non-verbal methods as a way to begin encouraging your child to use words… and in the meantime develop effective strategies for figuring out what they want and need.

It’s always important to remember that no two children with ASD are the same. A strategy that works for one child, might not work for another. But there are some tried and tested techniques parents can use to get through to a non-verbal child, and just as importantly, to help the child convey their needs and desires to parents.

Here you’ll find the six strategies we believe are most effective in fostering communication with a non-verbal child:

1. Nonverbal Communication is a Bridge to Language Development

   While speaking is the goal for many parents, many children can find equally effective ways to communicate nonverbally. In fact, many of these non-verbal communications, like hand gestures and eye contact, are the building blocks for language. So, it’s important to encourage their development as a precursor to speech.

   Be sure to model these behaviors for your child by exaggerating your own hand gestures and making it easy for your child to copy you. When you want your child to pick up a toy, don’t just ask them, but point to the toy with your hand and nod “yes” when they select the right one.

   Clapping, holding out your arms, and opening your hands are universally recognized gestures even a young, non-verbal child is likely to be able to interpret.

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2. Play and Social Interaction Create Lots of Opportunities to Describe Things

   Your child will have plenty of opportunities to learn and interact socially through play. Playing games your child enjoys, especially those involving sorting and matching, are a great option, because they work on visual and motor skills, as well as communication.

   Anything to get your kid using their hands, like play dough, creates lots of opportunities for them to describe the tactile experience, using gestures at first, then eventually words. The connection between physical sensations and being compelled to describe the feeling can be very strong.

   You can even get musical by singing or playing toy instruments. When playing with your child, always be sure to place yourself at eye level so your child can easily see and hear you while you play together and learn from watching what you do.

3. Imitation is a Form of Communicating Mutual Understanding

   Another great strategy for parents of non-verbal children is imitation. The cool thing about imitation is that it can go both ways, just like a conversation!

   You start off by imitating your child, how they sound and play, to encourage them to do more of both. Imitation games are as simple as it sounds: If your child stacks a lego on their tower, you stack a lego on yours. If your child knocks the tower over, you knock yours over too!

   All the basic items found in any toy box, whether balls, legos, cars, dolls, action figures or books, give you an opportunity to engage in games that involve role playing as a way to interact and communicate with gestures and imitation that don’t necessarily require words at first.

4. Let Your Child Set the Pace and the Topic That Holds Their Interest

   It’s important to take your child’s lead. Allowing your child to choose the topic and set the pace is a great way to make sure they don’t lose focus. Follow along with what your child is already doing and narrate their activity using words. So, if your child is sorting shapes, say “square” when they hold up that shape and “in” when they place that piece in its proper basket.

   This way, you are allowing your child to focus on what they are interested in and encouraging your child to connect the words with their chosen activity.

   Choosing your words so that they are easier for your child to understand is a wise idea. You may consider talking to your child using only single words like “take” or “ball” in the beginning. Using a single word makes things very simple for your child to understand and imitate. Then, as your child starts using these words, you can add a word to the phrase, like “take toy” or “roll ball.” You can keep building on the phrases to they are able to convey complete ideas in full sentences.

5. Consider Using Assistive Devices

   There are many types of assistive devices available that are designed to help children and adults with ASD who struggle to communicate, both those who are capable of talking and those that are completely non-verbal. It’s important to understand that these devices are not just meant to take the place of speech; they are designed to be a foundation for communication as well.

   Visual supports also help children to make requests and share thoughts by touching pictures that then produce words. There are many devices available, as well as apps that can be downloaded directly to your phone or tablet.

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6. Avoid the Urge to Respond for Your Child and Give Them Some Space

   Keep in mind that sometimes your child may not respond, or respond fully. And that is okay. You may feel the urge to complete sentences, mouth the responses you’re hoping to hear, or answer questions on their behalf when someone else is asking, but it’s okay to give them the space to answer, even if the answer simply isn’t coming.

   Children with ASD need time and space to think and process. And, sometimes, they aren’t going to answer at all. But you have to keep providing them with the opportunities to respond rather than doing it for them.

   Wait several seconds after you answer a question and look at your child with interest. Watch for any signs of sound or movement. And, if they do offer a response of any kind, be sure to react and respond quickly. Providing this kind of reinforcement can be the most empowering thing you can do for your child.

Tips for Parents – Child Development

According to research, body language accounts for 93% of the information sent. Who would have thought that our facial expressions and pantomimes could speak so loudly?..

Giving children all sorts of instructions, not many parents think about non-verbal ways of communicating with them. And non-verbal communication has a long-term impact on how children listen, behave, absorb information and talk to other people. It also influences how they treat us as parents and how children look in the eyes of other people. Non-verbal communication can have a major impact on how a child will like the people around him and on the opportunities that he will have in the future. Undoubtedly, this type of communication has a huge impact on the fate of children.

It is important for us as parents to remember that children often respond not to our words, but to the way they are presented. We need to carefully model the behavior we want to see in our children. Therefore, we must improve our own non-verbal communication skills so that they can effectively learn from us and improve their social skills. Fortunately, there are many ways to positively impact our children’s comprehension and communication skills. The following are helpful tips for parents.

1. The importance of eye contact

Parents often ignore the importance of eye contact with their children. And in vain, since good eye contact between parents and the child is an important tool for the normal development of the baby. When the child closely follows the expression on the parents’ faces, he receives clues to understand their verbal utterances. At the same time, it is important for the child to focus his attention not only on the face, but also on the movement of the lips. This makes our statement more “readable” and perceptible.

2. Talking at a child’s level

When you lean in and talk to your child at eye level, you are not only friendly and scary, but also make your statement easier and more audible. Educators are often encouraged to teach on the same horizontal plane as children in order to build and strengthen bonds with students.

3. Using an open posture for communication

arms around the shoulders, we demonstrate to children that we are ready to accept what they have to say. This hand position makes children want to communicate with us and listen to us.

4. Positive facial expression

A smile, the corners of the lips turned up, as well as eyes that express interest and are wide open with excited anticipation, influence children’s reactions to our statements. A positive expression on the face of parents encourages them to respond positively. Here it is important to take into account that the emotional experiences of children when communicating with other people shape their reactions throughout their lives.

5. Mutual, joint attention

The joint attention of parents and children to an object (for example, when the parent gets down on the floor with the child to clean up the dirt, instead of ordering the child to clean up the mess himself) is extremely important in attracting the child’s interest in a pressing topic. When we consider and evaluate a topic of conversation with our children, we engage them on a deeper level.

A study was conducted on the development of a child’s vocabulary and joint attention. The results indicate that children who learned words by completing tasks with their parents had a larger vocabulary. If the child does not pay attention to you and your words, approach him or even point out the problem to him. It is to be hoped that next time he will do as you have instructed him.

6. Tone of voice and intonation (paralanguage) when talking to children

It’s no secret that babies and young children love their mother’s language (mother’s high tone of voice). There was a study that found that maternal language helps babies determine where words begin and where they end, and thus recognize sounds, syllables, words, and finally sentences. Children also become more involved in conversations with their parents when they use a high-pitched and varying rhythm of speech.

7. Gestures

Head nodding, thumbs up and hands raised in excitement also have a positive effect on interaction with children. This is how we non-verbally express understanding and support to them.

8. Sounds (uh-huh, mmm, ah)

Parents’ use of vocal responses (not verbal) when talking to a child demonstrates to him that we are interested in what he is saying. These sounds encourage the child, as we show that we are listening very carefully.

9. Closeness between parent and child

When children are small, it is very important that the space (distance) between them and their parents is relatively small (30–60 cm). As children become teenagers, this space naturally expands and requires more parental attention.

10. Movement (movements that parents should/should not make)

In order to show our child our interest in talking to him, our movements should be limited to gestures and facial expressions. Parental walking not only distracts the child, but also disrupts the closeness and bonding with the baby that is essential for effective communication.

It’s amazing how attention to non-verbal communication and a few small adjustments to it can have such a profound effect on our connection with children and how they will interact with the world around them. Use the tips presented in this article, and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Two Minute Action Plan for Parents

Take a moment to reflect on your last conversation with your child.

• Did the child agree with what you said?
• What other non-verbal signals did you send to the child in addition to the spoken words? Has it affected your baby’s reaction to you?
• On average, how many times per day do you show positive gestures, tone of voice and facial expressions?
• How often do you get down to the child’s level and connect with him before you try to correct him?

Parent Long Term Action Plan

• As a first step to improving nonverbal communication skills, parents need to learn to better understand the nonverbal information they send along with their words. Throughout the next week, pay close attention to this aspect of communication with children.
• Then choose one of the tips above and purposefully implement it in your communication. For example, you can methodically learn to use a softer, more open expression in conversation.

Yes, you may feel a little unnatural at first, but the reactions you will see from the children will more than pay off all your efforts!

How to teach communication to a non-verbal child?

10/12/14

Description of the main and most effective approaches to the development of speech in non-verbal children with autism

Translation: Yana Shalimova
Source: I Love ABA

Quite often, children with autism do not speak at all, or they develop speech with a large delay. Sometimes this is due to medical problems such as tongue problems or apraxia. However, much more often this is due to impairments in the areas of motivation and social interaction. Speech delays can also be caused by advanced ear infections, which can lead to hearing loss and hamper speech development at a critical time.

The term “non-verbal” refers to a person who does not use voice to communicate (the clinical term is “non-vocal” because verbal behavior may include communication without sounds, such as sign language). In most cases, instead of language, these children use ineffective or inappropriate ways of communicating. Most of the guys I worked with were non-verbal when we met. Typically, these children communicated by pointing fingers, guiding me to the right place, or (most often) expressing their needs through behavior. In my practice, I have observed several babies who, without saying a word, could get everything they wanted. Parents understood that two shouts meant “turn on the TV”, crying meant “take me in your arms”, and pushing away a brother or sister meant “I don’t want to play”, etc.

When working with non-verbal children, your goal is not to get the child to speak. The main task is to teach the child effective communication . Even verbal children are not always capable of communication. If I teach a five-year-old child to name colors and body parts, but he is not able to tell me that he wants to eat, then this is an example of a child who can speak, but does not use speech to communicate.

It is important to realize that “non-verbal” is not just someone who cannot speak. How does the child communicate? Do you get the impression that he understands a lot more by ear than he can say? Does the child hum to himself, name parts of words, sing songs or melodies? Does the child scream when upset or make mute sounds? I can say from my experience that if a non-verbal child has vocal stereotypes or echolalia (repetition of other people’s words and phrases), then this increases the likelihood that he will become verbal. A child who echoes words, sings, or babbles is more likely to be able to speak.

Behavior work plays a huge role in the development of communication. This has to be repeated over and over again: non-verbal or non-communicative children are characterized by the most problematic and difficult to correct types of behavior. Why is it so? Try to imagine that you are in a society where no one speaks your language. If you speak English, then everyone around you speaks French. If you speak Arabic, then everyone around you speaks German. Now imagine that you are hungry, and you need to somehow convince these people to feed you. And how long can you point and gesticulate before you start pushing people and throwing things?

If a child lacks an innate motivation for social interaction, and the people around him do not additionally motivate him for this, then it will be much easier for him to get his own way with the help of unwanted behavior. A child who is allowed to throw a plate on the floor at the end of a meal, which means “I ate”, has no reason to think about how to put it into words, how to pronounce it and communicate to others.

Encouragement for communication plays a huge role. When a child with autism learns to communicate with other people, you should always have at hand the rewards he desires. You might be thinking, “Why should I encourage my child to speak? Because my older kids just started talking and didn’t get M&M’s for it.” A key feature of autism is qualitative impairments in the field of communication. This may mean that the child does not speak at all, has speech delays, or has a command of the language but no motivation to use it.

There are several approaches to teaching non-verbal children to communicate (and behavioral analysts/counselors often advise using several methods at once):

Methods of teaching communication

Verbal behavioral approach (ABA) There are many directions in the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) , and the verbal behavioral approach is one of them. This method focuses on the development of functional speech. The starting point in this approach is the internal motivation of the child, who receives rewards to reinforce various types of communication (requests, naming, and so on). In this approach, language is taught just like any other behavior, and each component of speech is divided into small steps. For example, if a child loves ice cream very much, then the first thing they are taught is to pronounce the word “ice cream”. Thus, the child’s desire to get what he wants is used to stimulate his speech. You say ice cream, you get ice cream. The verbal behavioral approach also uses repetition, prompting, and the gradual formation of the desired response. If a child is taught to ask for a ball, then “ma” is accepted as a request first. Over time, with careful data collection and analysis, the criteria become more stringent until the child can clearly say “ball”.

Speech therapy. Of the ten clients I work with, 6-7 usually also visit a speech therapist. Many parents believe that speech therapy is the only way to help a non-verbal child speak. Speech therapists work with problems such as stuttering, articulation disorders, eating/swallowing difficulties, and the like. I know children who have made great strides with the help of a speech therapist, and I have worked with those who have not been affected by these services. They received speech therapy for years, and began to speak after a few months of ABA therapy. As a client, it is important for you to find a speech therapist who has knowledge and experience specifically in the field of autism or behavioral therapy. It is also important to pay attention to the intensity of training. Many of the children I work with only have an hour and a half a week with a speech therapist. For a non-verbal, low-functioning autistic child, such therapy is not enough to make any meaningful changes.

Sign language. When you name the surrounding objects, always accompany them with a gesture, so that when the child hears the word, he simultaneously learns the corresponding gesture. Considering sign language as a form of communication, one should always take into account the age of the child and his fine motor skills. If your child has fine motor skills and is unable to complete a sequence of complex gestures, sign language may not be the best option. Age is important because you need to consider the breadth of your child’s social circle. If he’s two years old and spends all day with his mom and dad, then sign language is probably fine. And if the child is 11 years old, he goes to school, an extended day group, and then to the karate section, then all the people with whom he communicates must understand his gestures. If a child walks up to a teacher on a school playground and gestures for a “red notebook,” will the teacher understand? In the event that children do not receive a prompt response to their gestures, they may simply stop using them. Another common mistake when teaching a child to sign language is getting stuck on the “more” gesture. Many specialists and parents teach the child the “more” gesture, and, unfortunately, he transfers this gesture to all situations. The child begins to approach everyone in a row and repeat the “more” gesture when others have no idea what he wants. “What more? Now imagine how upset a child is when he is not understood. If you decide to teach your child the “more” gesture, then be sure to teach him to use the gesture only in tandem with the name of what he wants.

Communication Picture Exchange System (PECS). With the PECS system, the child learns to exchange photos of the items he wants for the items themselves. PECS images are easy to use, take with you, and can describe in detail everything in the child’s environment. With PECS, you can teach your child to make a request in a whole sentence, ask for several things at once, tell how the day went, just talk, etc. The advantage of PECS over gestures is that pictures or photographs can be understood by anyone. If a child inaccurately shows a gesture, then no one will understand what he wants. With the PECS system, you can use pictures or real photos of the items, whichever suits your child best. Another advantage of PECS compared to gestures is that this system is suitable for communicating with peers. A typical three-year-old child might not understand the “play” gesture, but they will definitely understand that a card with a picture of a doll house means “Do you want to play with a doll house?” Disadvantages of this system that parents have reported to me include the difficulty of constantly adding different photos/pictures, and if the child’s interests change quickly, then the cards have to be changed quickly as well.

Auxiliary communication devices. Using an assistive communication device will allow the child to create speech using a voice synthesizer. The child inserts pictures, types or presses buttons, and the device reproduces the corresponding words using an artificial voice. Since this is a technological device, it is necessary that the child has sufficient intellectual ability to use it independently of adults. However, if you have an iPad, there are excellent communication apps (such as Proloquo 2 Go) that allow non-verbal children to communicate with just a few finger movements. The advantage of such technologies is that they are suitable for people with different physical abilities, as they can be modified and adapted for children who have low vision, cannot type, or are hard of hearing. These apps and devices are easy to take with you and allow your child to quickly communicate what they want, what they think, how they feel about things, and what they need. Some devices can be programmed on an as-needed basis, filling in specific information that cannot be matched with a photo (such as the long knock-knock joke). Other devices are more limited and difficult to program for extended conversations or dialogue.

Language immersion. This method is commonly used in preschools or kindergartens that accept children with special needs. Throughout the day in the group, the child is immersed in an environment that motivates him to speak. Each item is clearly named and each child engages in conversation even if they cannot speak (“David, is my jacket blue? Nod if my jacket is blue”). Teachers work individually with each child, teaching him to play in turn, maintain eye contact and pay attention to the same thing as the other person. In my opinion, such classes are very similar to the Kegel method or training in basic reactions, one of the ABA approaches. The advantage of language immersion, as well as teaching basic communication skills, is that parents can easily use this method with their child. Such techniques focus on those stages of development that usually lead to the first words, such as babbling, distinguishing sounds, imitation, responding to oral instructions, and communicating through gestures. Individual work with a child includes natural communication and encouragement. For example, you can respond to a child’s babble as if it were words and keep the conversation going. Describe your actions and what the child is doing, even if he does not answer you in any way (“We are going up the stairs. Let’s count the steps: 1, 2, 3, 4 …”). When you say this, keep eye contact, build on common interests with your child, and make learning fun.

The sheer variety of programs, books, resources, and clinics that promise to teach autistic children to speak can be confusing for parents. Choose a program very responsibly and trust only those methods that have been researched and approved, as well as those that clearly and clearly describe how this method works and what it includes. If you need to pay for treatment or order a book to figure out how the method works, then this is a reason to be suspicious.

Whatever option you choose to teach your child to communicate will only be effective in different places and with different people if you provide support for the desired behavior. The child must learn that from now on, others will not accept anything other than his communication system. This means that if you taught a child to ask for cookies with a gesture, then he can no longer climb onto the kitchen table to get a jar of cookies from the refrigerator. Make communication with you a requirement, or the child will never communicate.

The child must also understand that communication with people leads to good results. If the child has just learned the request for “juice”, then every time he says “juice”, you need to give him some juice. The child must see that through communication you can quickly get what he needs or wants.

If you have started using a communication system for a child with autism, but the results are not satisfactory, then ask yourself the question: “Is this communication system the only way for the child to get what he wants/needs?” If not, then perhaps this is the reason for the lack of improvement.

** Important tip: It is very important for the learning and development of speech to start the intervention at the earliest stages. If you want to achieve the best results, then you need to start exercising with your child as early as possible. However, research shows that hope is not lost for older non-verbal children with autism. It will be more difficult for an older child to learn to speak, but, nevertheless, it is possible. The most effective methods for working with children over 5 years of age include the use of speech-generating devices (which do not suppress language) and developmental approaches that aim to develop divided attention.

See also:

Autism and alternative communication: what I would like to know much earlier

Notes of an autist. Autism, speech and assistive technology

How to help a non-verbal child to speak?

How to teach a child with autism to make verbal requests?

How to teach a child to use words instead of tantrums?

Three Key Speech Development Strategies

How do you teach a child with autism to make a request with a gesture?

How to choose a communication method for a non-verbal child with autism?

What is divided attention and how can it be developed in children with autism?

We hope that the information on our website will be useful or interesting for you. You can support people with autism in Russia and contribute to the work of the Foundation by clicking on the “Help” button.

ABA Therapy and Behavior, Communication and Speech

Significance of non-verbal communication in infancy for mental development

Year of publication and journal number:

2001, No. 4

1. History of the study

The study of preverbal communication at an early age is a very exciting and exciting activity, as it is connected with the mysterious and touching world of infancy, when the first shoots of the human soul are born. This relatively young direction in developmental psychology is experiencing a real research boom in our time. Not surprisingly, the interests of neuropsychology, developmental psychology, and psycholinguistics are focused in this area of ​​research. On the part of practitioners – psychologists, psychotherapists, psychoanalysts – there is a huge interest in understanding the origins of communication and speech, since it is they who have to deal with the complex, sometimes mysterious, difficult to explain consequences of developmental disorders that occurred at the very beginning of the life path of patients.

The history of this extremely interesting branch of knowledge is divided into several stages. Even at the beginning of the century, the close attention of scientists was riveted to discoveries in the field of embryology and early postnatal development. Early ontogeny was seen as a consequence predetermined by the action of metaphysical forces, such as the vegetative soul, or psychic heat. In this regard, the concept of “critical periods” in behavioral epigenesis arose, according to which events that occur with a child at certain periods of time and are caused by outside interference can subsequently lead to tangible changes in his behavior [13].

For the first time, the decisive significance of early childhood experience for the further mental development of the child was postulated in psychoanalytic theory. Engaged in a retrospective search for traces of childhood experiences, 3. Freud laid the foundation for a new tradition in psychiatry and psychology. The experience experienced by the child during this period began to be regarded as the foundation for further mental development, and it was attributed a decisive role in the emergence of possible neurotic and mental disorders in adult patients. The founders of child psychoanalysis A. Freud, M. Klein, S. Isaacs were the first to move from retrospective analysis in a therapeutic context to direct observation of children. A new impetus to the study of early childhood experiences came from observations of infants brought up in the absence of a mother. This marked the beginning of empirical research in this area. Based on a large number of similar observations, M. Ribble [31] was the first to put forward the idea that the absence of maternal love and care can cause physical and mental disorders, in the most severe cases leading to insanity. Subsequently, many of her hypotheses were empirically proven by data from studies of infants separated from their mothers during the war and orphans from infant shelters [6,10,30,35].

The study of maternal deprivation in animals can be considered the first experimental study of preverbal communication. One group of researchers found that mice and rats learn and develop physically and emotionally more successfully and faster if they receive a certain dose of affectionate tactile contact [37]. Another group of scientists analyzed the influence of specific components of maternal behavior on the mental development of rhesus monkey cubs and investigated how and to what extent it is possible to replace an absent mother [11, 12]. An interesting discovery was made: the absence of a mother has a different effect on different species of monkeys; mothers, fathers and other relatives take an unequal part in caring for offspring.

Even then, in child psychiatry, there was an idea of ​​the exceptional importance of maternal care for the successful mental development of the child. Maternal care was considered indispensable, and the success of the development of the relationship between mother and child was made exclusively dependent on the level of emotional contact in the couple. This theory, first put forward by D. Bowlby [3], then received its further development in psychiatric practice. However, its limitations were as follows: rhesus monkeys provide an acceptable model for studying the development of human behavior. At the same time, the existence of specifically human forms of behavior, different from those observed in primates, was completely ignored. In part, this situation was due to insufficient knowledge at that time of the phylogeny and ontogenesis of human behavior.

From this moment began a vigorous study of the early stages of the development of behavior and preverbal communication. Technological advances have made it possible to make new observations and develop new methods for evaluating data. The relevance and importance of ongoing work in this area predetermined the interdisciplinary nature of research and the growth in the number of scientists employed in it. Psychiatrists and psychotherapists have recognized that an infant’s development can only be seen in the context of its relationship with its mother or other caregivers in its social environment, and that early forms of interaction mean more than mere emotional exchange. They became interested in the possibility of having a preventive therapeutic effect on the parent-child relationship at an early age. The key moment in the history of the issue was the First World Congress on Infant Psychiatry in Cascais (Portugal, 1980), where new theoretical and methodological achievements in the field of preverbal communication were presented, therapeutic possibilities were clarified, and the idea was expressed of the inadmissibility of overdiagnosis of mental disorders at an early age.

2. The infant’s contribution to communication

In contrast to previous ideas about the infant as a passive participant in communication, who has only the simplest emotional reactions, the idea that a newborn, experiencing new experiences, i.e. gaining new experience, he can learn and express his own intentions [5, 16, 17]. A number of studies have confirmed that as early as 4-month-old babies, as a result of gaining new experience, they build their own basic representations (or concepts) and behave further in accordance with them [19].]. The study of the motivation of infantile behavior has clearly shown that it is necessary to take into account the needs of the child not only purely physiological, but also integrative, communicative, in particular, the need to accumulate new experiences, check the relationship between one’s own behavior and its consequences caused in the immediate environment, as well as the need to find their own kind and communicate with them.

To explain the early forms of human behavior and determine its role in evolution, it is necessary to analyze the biological aspects of this behavior. The goal is to discover specific species forms that are unique to humans, in contrast to similar forms of animal behavior. In this regard, the views of scientists were directed to the development of the child even before birth. Video filming of the behavior of the fetus in the womb has shown that a certain genetic program is involved in the early development of motor skills. But it has also been demonstrated that the learning processes and cognitive abilities of the baby are involved in the integration of early experience. This made it possible to clarify the previous idea of ​​the origin (Table 1) and basic tendencies (Table 2) of the process of integrating the experience gained by the child in the early stages of development. It became clear that the world of our experiences and the phylogenetic experience of the human race include certain behavioral tendencies that were selected from a large amount of genetic information in the process of evolution and were transmitted by heredity. In the process of learning, conscious and unconscious components were distinguished for the first time. The role of unconscious learning and thinking became more understandable after the dependence of the course of unconscious processes on the functioning of the hemisphere of the brain, which is dominant in speech, was shown [8,

animal world. These include: attention, exploratory instinct, withdrawal, avoidance, and needs closely related to communicative and cognitive development, primarily the need to establish control over changes in the surrounding world or determine the various results of one’s own actions. Communication plays a crucial role in the child’s re-examination of the social conformity of his actions. In this sense, it is important for a person, just like animals, to learn how to receive help from their neighbors, find a partner for procreation and win an optimal position in society.

Human communication is characterized by all the attributes typical of adaptive forms of behavior known in nature: universality, development at an early stage of ontogenesis, co-evolution in accordance with the reinforcing tendencies of the social environment. However, there are significant differences between the motivation and social behavior of humans and animals. These include: 1) the ability to shift the motive to the goal, 2) altruism and morality, 3) high intelligence and highly developed speech apparatus, 4) developed fine motor skills, a close connection with the formation of integrative abilities.

When forming habits related to feeding, satisfying hunger can give way to other motives, as soon as the child understands that his behavior can influence the people around him. Even more often, such a shift in motive is observed during a cry, which can be caused not only by hunger, pain, fear, but also by the requirement to satisfy a cognitive or social need. And then it becomes an important tool that allows the child to manipulate the adults who care for him.

Unlike animals, humans have a developed altruistic need to help others if they need it. In addition, morality, specifically human relations of duty, social conformity, which are absent in the animal community, play an important role in motivating human behavior.

Human communication is a unique phenomenon of nature, providing the highest degree of human adaptation to the environment in comparison with animals. Its prerequisites – high intelligence, the ability for abstract symbolization, voice modulation in a rapidly changing sequence – are not unique natural data, however, in such a complete combination as in humans, they are not found in any animal. So, chimpanzees, who can communicate with humans using gestures, lack a developed speech apparatus for verbal communication. And some tropical birds, despite good imitative abilities that allow them to copy the human voice, never use speech to communicate with each other.

Another distinctive feature of the development of communication between people is the unique combination of verbal abilities with finger and hand movements. As a result of well-developed fine motor skills, a person has also learned to record and accumulate his knowledge in various visual and readable coded forms. The ability to convey information through speech has made the integration of experience more efficient, faster, and more economical. The ability for verbal mediation has opened up unique possibilities that form the basis of culture and, at the same time, has increased the degree of biological fitness of a person.

The main, basic tendencies in behavior are detected already at an early stage of development, others appear simultaneously with the development of speech, or after its completion. Preverbal expressions of infants – vocal, mimic or gestural – are much more important than just an emotional signal. Even K. Buhler [4] emphasized that such signals, along with the expression of one’s own state, also reflect the actual situation of communication and are directed to the partner as a request or demand. Obviously, the development of communication skills from the very beginning is closely connected not only with the emotional state, but also with the development of integrative abilities: thinking and learning abilities. Strong Min. Predictability Max. High Min. Conscious control Min. Weak Max. Sociocultural background Min. Minor Max. Voice transmission Min. Low Max.

3. The contribution of parents to communication

The second component of the interactive process is the participation of parents. A detailed examination of the video recording of parent-child interactions revealed new abilities of parents that remained unnoticed when applying global methods of observation. They manifested themselves especially clearly in behavior that was adopted by children unconsciously and could not be transmitted through speech. These forms of behavior, necessary for mastering early thinking abilities and vocalization, were designated as intuitive parental didactics [25].

How can the content of this concept be determined? Everyday actions of parents in dialogue with their babies exactly correspond to the actual physical state of the child, which is determined by the degree of his wakefulness and attention. With the help of various methods, parents manage to awaken and further maintain the attention of the child, while “dosing” the degree of their intervention in such a way that the baby is able to process the signals coming from them without much effort. The frequent repetition of such parental promptings and the strong, emotional rewards that accompany every small step in the child’s progress reflect the didactic nature of parental behavior. Parents are also receptive to a decrease in attention from the child.

In this case, they increase the intensity of urges, change their behavior, or simply allow the child to rest.

The didactic abilities of parents belong to a special category of biologically determined prerequisites, which are fundamentally different from innate reflexes or rationally controlled forms of behavior. From Table. 3. the difference between three types of behavior is visible: innate, intuitive and rational.

Genetic programs play an important role in the intuitive behavior of parents, which is confirmed by numerous manifestations. So, for example, intuitive didactic abilities are quite universal and do not depend on gender, age and cultural background of educators. They arise as a result of involuntary training [34]. Their constant manifestation is quite consistent with the principle prevailing in nature, according to which, in the course of evolution, adaptive mechanisms vital for survival, specific to each species, are selected. In humans, such adaptive mechanisms are high intelligence and verbal communication. And it is precisely in teaching a child to speak and actions that can be conveyed with the help of speech [21] that intuitive didactic abilities are most clearly manifested, i.e. finely differentiated and didactically meaningful parental support.

Features of didactic behavior are: specific use of eye contact, facial expressions, articulation; determination of the degree of cheerfulness of the baby; compliance with the child’s expectations at the level of actions; the use of a special “children’s speech”; the unconscious use of intonation to communicate emotional state and cognitive information.

Referring people to eye contact is one example of a species-specific encouragement of communication skills. While all other species, including great apes, avoid direct eye contact, which signals threat and possible aggression, in human communication, on the contrary, it is the most necessary and facilitates the exchange of very important signals. Without realizing it, the adult seeks eye contact with the infant by placing his or her face in the child’s field of vision and thereby facilitating his (still limited) visual perception [34]. Adults also reward the baby for every glance received from him with a special, so-called “welcome reaction.”

Parents constantly repeat the sounds and facial expressions of the baby, thereby allowing the child to use their faces as a “biological mirror”, or “biological echo”, and thus develop his ability to perceive himself. Emotionally colored facial expressions of parents serve as confirmation of the desired forms of behavior of the child and rejection of undesirable ones, or they signal to the still inexperienced infant that he can expect from meeting a new person or an unfamiliar situation.

Before entering into a dialogue with a child, an adult first intuitively determines the degree of cheerfulness and attention of the child, trying to open his hands or open his mouth, checking his muscle tone [24]. A sleepy baby does not offer any resistance, while a hungry baby reacts with a search reaction or sucking movements. B. Kestermann [14] demonstrated in his experiments how the language of children’s gestures affects the behavior of parents. So, for example, calm twirling of half-opened hands with fingers signals a quite suitable opportunity to enter into a dialogue, a strong grasping reflex reflects increased tension, reduced muscle tone in the hands indicates fatigue and drowsiness.

For the successful development of self-perception, it is important to give the infant as often as possible the opportunity to respond to someone else’s appeal in such a way that these answers, in turn, are understood by adults. To do this, “sufficiently intuitive parents” often allow the baby to manipulate (in a positive sense) their behavior, i. e. respond to the “moves of the child” as he expects. It’s like they’re playing tricks with him. This creates a feeling in the baby that he is understood and accepted. This reinforces one of the most important integrative processes – recognizing how certain goals can be achieved by changing one’s own behavior.

The most interesting and common examples of intuitive parental support are found in vocal communication between the infant and parents or other adults during the child’s acquisition of speech. Parents demonstrate articulation, adopting which children learn to reproduce various sounds. At first, the baby lacks the ability to hold his breath, which is necessary for calm vocalization. It is even more difficult to produce consonants and syllables. As soon as the breath develops so much that the child learns to control his vocalizations, he can already modulate the melody from the first basic sounds. The gradual development of such steps is supported by the child’s social environment both intentionally and involuntarily. Relatives surrounding the child – from 2-3-year-old brothers and sisters to grandparents – use a manner of communication and speech for this, which is characterized by surprisingly simple melodic units with an increased and extended range and longer, melodious vowels (“infant-directed speach”). “) [26].

Computer analysis of speech addressed to an infant has shown how important a role is played by intonation in a dialogue with an infant. With the help of various melodies, the adult conveys well-differentiated information and the first categorical messages, the processing of which prepares the ground for further verbal messages. At the same time, the melody of the parental manner of speech is extremely saturated with information [27]. Adults caring for the child use in a conversation addressed to him such elements of vocalization that the baby himself discovered during the imitation and modulation of his first vocalizations. In a similar way, further unconscious, but surprisingly systematically performed steps proceed, ultimately leading to the appearance of the first words [28].

For the first time, new data on the different contribution of each of the cerebral hemispheres to the acquisition of speech and fine motor skills of the hands helped to understand the coevolution of child and parental preparedness for learning speech [18]. In the first seven months, the infant practices various techniques and develops abilities related to speech. So, for example, he learns how to produce and modulate sounds, recognize and follow the rules of dialogue, combine vocal manifestations with non-verbal ones, and so on. Such procedural learning begins immediately after birth, while declarative learning (what is called, how abstract concepts can be combined) depends on the maturation of the corresponding brain structures and appears by the end of the first year of life.

In the early stages of a child’s development, communication plays a twofold role. On the one hand, it is a necessary condition for the development of speech, on the other hand, it offers many opportunities for working out and automating basic integrative processes. In the absence of such opportunities in a child, not only speech, but also mental development in general is at risk [23]. This fact was confirmed experimentally by observational data on the development of twins, each of whom receives half as much attention from their parents as an only child [2].

4. Communication disorders at an early age and their therapy

The universality of the prerequisites for integrative and communicative behavior in children and their caregivers does not mean, however, that they always manifest themselves automatically and in an undisturbed form. Rather, it is about behavioral readiness, which can have a variety of forms of manifestation. From the primary, universal set for all, a completely original mosaic picture of child-parent interaction arises. Separate actions are gradually worked out, synchronized and coordinated among themselves in the course of mutual interactions specific to each couple.

The development and flow of communication under the influence of a large number of adverse factors is delayed or disrupted [22]. So, for example, a violation of intuitive parental behavior may arise as a result of unresolved psychosocial problems and conflicts in partnership, really conditioned or neurotic fears associated with the child, due to overwork or mental illness of the parents [1, 32]. Of particular importance is also the presence of adverse experiences of their own childhood experiences of parents. In such cases, they may be so busy resolving their problems that they hardly perceive or even ignore the signals coming from the child, neglect his needs and avoid play contact. Another form of violation: adults, on the contrary, are excessively precautionary in their manifestations or stimulate the child too much, to the point that he ceases to understand parental signals, endures them with difficulty, and eventually rejects them altogether. Refusal to communicate on the part of the child can also occur when a woman does not feel like a mother and rejects the baby [15, 38].

Parenting disorders are most pronounced when the child belongs to the category of so-called “difficult children” [36], “noisy children” [7] or other risk groups. It does not necessarily have congenital deafness, blindness, cerebral movement disorders or Down syndrome. Often, even mild changes in coordination, hypotension, a lowered threshold of excitability, and similar symptoms of nonspecific disorders [33] lead to the fact that the signals coming from the child are difficult to recognize and interpret, and the infant himself is too passive if an adult does not attract him attention. Such children may avoid social contact or react to it with excitement and increased crying. In such cases, the “difficult” behavior of the child causes the parents to feel that their parental competence is being excessively demanded. This often leads to the emergence of a parental rejection syndrome characterized by powerlessness and guilt [29]. In this case, communication acquires a permanent decompensating effect on the child [20]. The danger of this situation lies in the fact that in the most severe cases, communication violations are amplified, fixed and lead to neglect and/or abuse of children.

Currently, there is still a shortage of reliable and easy-to-use methods for recognizing early violations of preverbal communication. At the same time, in practice it has been repeatedly confirmed that the signs of possible subsequent violations in a child are: excessive passivity; avoidance of contact; irritability and frequent crying; insufficient development of differentiated forms of communication; refusal to eat; sleep disturbances not due to organic causes; severe anxiety or pronounced defensive reactions when faced with a new situation or a stranger. In the behavior of parents, such harbingers are: ignoring a relaxed, relaxed dialogue with the baby at those moments when he expresses his readiness for communication; lack of game elements; ignoring or slow response to children’s signals; inadequate “dosing” of motives in relation to the child; overly rational, “conductor” interference; insufficient efforts to maintain dialogue, play, keep the child’s attention, or lack of incentives to communicate.

Currently, there are many different, often overlapping, therapeutic methods for correcting parent-child relationships in the early stages of development. Often these programs, which involve intervention in the process of communication, ignore the main feature of intuitive parental behavior: a slight ability to control it consciously, rationally and voluntarily. When working with parents in the programs of the Institute of Social Pediatrics at the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich, the main principles are: 1) relieving psychophysical stress in parents; 2) facilitating the implementation and therapeutic support of intuitive parenting; 3) development of effective forms of intuitive parenting in naturally occurring everyday learning situations [29]. It seems important to direct therapeutic efforts to ensure that parents fully follow the pace and level of development of their child and allow themselves in their own intuitive behavior to follow the preferences of the infant, his spontaneously emerging interests and dynamics, and also rely on their intuitive readiness for a joint dialogue or game. with a baby. The use of such psychotherapy in conjunction with drug treatment of primary organic disorders can prevent or interrupt the vicious circle of disturbed interactions that threatens decompensation, activate existing healing forces and awaken new ones. Our experience shows that once experienced, even the most modest success can significantly affect further motivation to achieve new results.

References:

1. Bastick T. Intuition // How we think and act. N.Y.: Wiley and Sons, 1982.

2. Bornstein M.H. How infant and mother jointly contribute to developing cognitive competence in the child // Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 1985. V. 82. P. 7470-7473.

3. Bowlby J. Maternal care and mental health: WHO Monographies. 1952. No. 2.

4. Buhler K. Sprachtheorie. Jena: Fischer, 1934.

5. Dornes M. Der kompetente Saugling. Frankfurt am Main: Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, 1993.

6. Freud A. Infants without families. N.Y. : Int. Univ. Press, 1945.

7. Frodi A. Variations in parental and nonparental response to early infant communication // The psychobiology of attachment separation / Eds M. Reite, T. Field. N.Y.: Academic Press, 1985. P. 351-367.

8. Gaddes H. Lemstorungen und Hirnfunktion. Eine neuropsychologische Betrachtung. Berlin: Springer Verlag, 1991.

9. Gazzaniga M. The social brain. Discovering the networks of the mind. N.Y.: Basic, 1985.

10. Goldfarb W. Psychological privation in infancy and subsequent adjustment // Amer. J. of Orthopsychiatry. 1945.V.15. P.247-255.

11. Harlow H.F. Total social isolation: Effects on Macaque monkey behavior // Science. 1965. V. 3670.

12. Harlow H.F., Harlow M.K. Social deprivation in monkeys // Scientific American. 1962. V. 207. P. 137-146.

13. Hess E. Pragung // Die fruhkindliche Entwicklung von Verhaltensmustern bei Tier und Menschen. Minchen: Kindler, 1975.

14. Kestermann G. Geslik von Saauglingen: Ihre kommuni-kative Bedeutung fur erfahrene und unerfahrene Bezug-spersonen: Dissertation. Universitat Bielefeld, 1982.

15. MucCurthy O., Booth EM. Parental rejection and stunting of growth // J. of Psychosomatic Research. 1970. V. 14, P. 259-265.

16. Papousek H. Experimental studies of appetitional behavior in human newborns infants // Early behavior: Comparative developmental approaches / Eds H.W. Stevenson, E.H. Hess, H.L. Rheingold. N.Y.: Wiley, 1967. P.249-277.

17. Papousek H. Entwicklung der Lemfahigkeit im Sauglingsalter // Intelligenz, Lernen und Lernstorungen // Hrsg. G. Nissen. Berlin: Springer Verlag, 1977, pp. 89-107.

18. Papousek H. Toward hemispheric specialization during infancy: Manual skills versus acquisition of speech // Theory and research in behavioral pediatrics / Eds H.E. Fitzgerald, B.M. Lester, M.V. Yogman. N.Y.: Plenum, 1991. V. 5. P. 209-215.

19. Papousek H., Bernstein P. The functions of conditioning stimulation in human neonates and infants // Stimulation in early infancy / Ed. A. Ambrose. L.: Academic Press, 1969. P.229-252.

20. Papousek //., Papousek M. Die Rolle der sozialen Interaktion in der psychischen Entwicklung und Pathogenese von Entwicklungsstorungen im Sauglingsalter // Psychi-atric des Sauglings- und des friihen Kleinkindalters / Hrsg. G. Nissen, Bern: Huber, 1982, pp. 69-74.

21. Papousek H., Papousek M. Intuitive parenting: A dialectic counterpart to the infant’s integrative competence // Handbook of infant development (2. Ausgabe) / Ed. Y. Osofsky. N.Y.: Wiley, 1987. S. 669-720.

22. Papousek H., Papousek. M. Friihe menschliche Kommunikation: Biologisches Erbe und Entwicklungspotential // Therapie. Anspruch und Widerspruch / Hrsg. H. Viebrock., U. Holste. Bremen: Bremische Evangelische Kirche, 1991. S.70-83.

23. Papousek H., Papousek M. Early integrative and communicative development: Pointers to humanity // Integrative biological psychiatry / Hrsg. H.M. Emrich, C.M. Wiegand. Berlin: Springer Verlag, 1992, pp. 45-60.

24. Papousek M., Papousek H. Neue Wege der Verhaltensbeobachtung und Verhaltensmikroanalyse // Sozialpadiatrie in Praxis und Klinik. 1981. V. 3. S. 20-22.

25. Papousek M., Papousek H. Intuitives elterliches Verhalten im Zwiegesprach mit dem Neugeborenen // Sozialpadiatrie in Praxis und Klinik. 1981. V. 3. S. 229-238.

26. Papousek M., Papousek H. Musical elements in the infant’s vocalization: Their significance for communication, cognition, and creativity // Advances in infancy research / Ed. L.P. Lipsitt. N.Y.: Ablex, Norwood, 1981. V.l.P. 163-224.

27. Papousek M., Papousek H., Bornstein M.H. The naturalistic vocal environment of young infants: On the significance of homogeneity and variability in parental speech // Social perception in infants / Eds T. Fiels, N. Fox. N.Y.: Ablex, Norwood, 1985. P. 269-297

28. Papousek M., Papousek H. Stimmliche Kommunikation im fruhen Sauglingsalter als Wegbereiter der Sprachentwicklung // Handbuch der Kleinkindforschung / Hrsg. H. Keller. Berlin: Springer Verlag, 1989, pp. 465-489.

29. Papousek M., Papousek H. Intuitive eiterliche Friiherziehung in der vorsprachlichen Kommunikation 11: Fruherkennung von Storungen und therapeutische An-satze // Sozialpadiatrie in Praxis und Klinik. 1990. V. 12. S.579-583.

30. Provence S., Lipton R.C. Infants in institutions. N.Y.: Int. Universities, 1962.

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What is non-verbal learning disorder and how can you help your child?

Many people think that the term “learning disorder” only covers problems with verbal skills, like reading or writing. But what if your child has good verbal skills and a large vocabulary but doesn’t understand when someone is being sarcastic? What if he reads at an advanced level but can’t identify key parts of the story?

These are the classic signs of Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD / NLD).

Nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD) affects skills such as abstract thinking and organization. NRA affects your child’s learning ability, but creates even more problems when it comes to communication. Learn more about NRA and how to help your child.

What is Nonverbal Learning Disorder?

Learning and attention disorders create difficulties in communication. The NRA affects the child’s social skills, but not their speech or writing skills.

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Children with non-verbal learning disorder tend to talk a lot, but they don’t always manage to do it in acceptable ways. They often miss important information, don’t understand sign language, so it’s hard for them to make friends, and there can often be misunderstandings with teachers, parents, and other adults.

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In contrast to children with learning disorders related to speech and writing (dyslexia, dysgraphia), children with NDE have difficulty understanding non-verbal communication. This includes body language, intonation, and facial expressions.

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When a classmate says something sarcastic, a child with non-verbal learning disorder may take it literally. He may laugh at something serious because the speaker is smiling. Due to the fact that the child does not understand the non-verbal subtext to words, it is difficult for him to make friends.

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In order to better understand what NLR is, it is necessary to learn more about learning disorders based on speech development problems. Children with these problems have difficulty reading, writing, and speaking. Their speech and language skills are weak and they have difficulty with accuracy and processing speed.

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Some children with NDE have good language skills but have difficulty analyzing information and understanding hidden meanings. They may not have problems with written or spoken language, but they take information literally without understanding the subtext.

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The exact cause of NRO is not yet clear, but researchers believe that this is due to a lack of coordination in different brain processes located in the left and right areas of the brain.

Despite growing awareness of this disorder, nonverbal learning disorder is controversial in medical circles. It does not appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the most recent update of the manual used by therapists to diagnose learning disorders.

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Non-verbal learning disorder may cause learning difficulties, but this does not mean that a child with NVD is not smart. Like most children with learning disabilities, children with LLD usually have average or above average intelligence.

It is also important to know that non-verbal learning disorder is not the same as Asperger’s or autism, although they can also affect social skills and social interaction.

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How common is non-verbal learning disorder?

It is difficult to know exactly how many children an NRA has. This is because there is no clear definition of what this category of learning disorder includes. Studies show that the NRA may have 1% of children in the United States. This applies equally to boys and girls. Apparently, NRO is not inherited, as, for example, problems with concentration and dyslexia.

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Non-verbal learning disorder often occurs in people with Asperger’s syndrome. In fact, studies show that up to 80% of children with Asperger’s have symptoms associated with NRO. People with ADHD may also experience symptoms of NRO, although there are no statistical data on this yet.

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What causes NRA?

Experts don’t know the exact cause of NRA symptoms. But they are exploring a number of theories related to differences in important brain processes and functions in the left and right sides of the brain.

There is no consensus among experts as to whether non-verbal learning disorder exists and what are the underlying causes of NLD symptoms. For example, some experts believe that problems may be caused by damage or developmental features of the part of the brain that coordinates the work of the two hemispheres. Others believe that the problems may be related to the frontal lobe of the brain, which is responsible for executive function skills such as working memory, organization and planning.

Help your child overcome learning difficulties quickly and permanently!

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What are the symptoms of NRA?

The main symptoms of non-verbal learning disorder include poor social skills, but NVE can manifest itself in other ways. For example, children with NDE may have difficulty with math, reading comprehension, writing, and/or physical coordination. Here are some of the symptoms you may find in your child with NRO:

• Remembers information but does not know why it is important;

• Communicates in socially unacceptable ways;

• Pays attention to details but does not see the big picture;

• Has difficulty reading;

• Has difficulty with mathematics, especially with problems;

• Physically awkward and clumsy;

• Poor handwriting;

• Takes information literally;

• Does not understand intonation, body language, facial expressions;

• Poor social skills;

• violates the personal boundaries of others – may stand too close to the interlocutor;

• Pays no attention to other people’s reactions;

• Changes subject abruptly;

• Too dependent on parents;

• Afraid to be in an unusual situation;

• Has difficulty adjusting to change.

Children with ADHD are often misunderstood because of their behavior. Peers and adults may find them strange or immature. Not knowing that the child has NRO, the teacher may think that he is inattentive or cocky.

Symptoms may change with age.

Young children with non-verbal learning disorder may appear bright and precocious because they have good verbal skills. They, like little professors, ask adults a lot of questions and spew out the information received like a fountain.

Despite their good memory, they may find it difficult to interpret and draw conclusions from what they read.

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As children get older, the symptoms of NRO may become more obvious and cause more problems. Children understand that they perceive social situations differently than their peers, but do not know what to do with it. Some develop anxiety that can lead to compulsive behavior, such as touching a doorknob a certain number of times before opening the door.

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The sooner you know about your child’s problems, the sooner you can find treatments and strategies to improve social skills and relieve anxiety.

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What skills are affected by non-verbal learning disorder?

NLL does not affect all children equally, but for most children NLL affects the following skills:

• Conceptual Skills: Difficulties with problem solving, understanding big concepts and cause and effect relationships.

• Motor skills: problems with coordination and movement. This includes gross motor skills (such as running), fine motor skills (such as writing), and balance (such as cycling).

• Visual-spatial skills: problems with visual images, visual processing and spatial relationships. The child may remember what he heard, but not what he saw.

• Social skills: Difficulty sharing information in a socially acceptable way. The child may not understand sarcasm or facial expressions, may interrupt the interlocutor in the middle of a conversation.

• Abstract and critical thinking: problem with reading comprehension and understanding the “big picture”. A child may be good at remembering details but not understanding the larger concepts behind them. You may also have trouble organizing your thoughts.

How to recognize NRA?

Since there is no universally accepted test for HRO, the diagnostic process involves several steps:

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Step 1: Get a medical examination. Your child’s doctor probably isn’t an expert on learning disorders, but you can talk to them about your concerns and find out if a medical condition might be causing your child’s symptoms. Your doctor can help you find a specialist, such as a neurologist, for further evaluation.

Step 2: Get a referral to a mental health professional. Once the medical causes are corrected, your child’s doctor will likely refer you to a mental health professional such as a neurologist. The specialist will talk to you and your child about your concerns. He will then administer various tests to assess your child’s ability in the following areas:

• Speech and language: Development of speech in young children; verbal skills, understanding of abstract ideas and context in older children.

• Visuospatial Organization: The ability to draw a parallel between visual information and abstract concepts, such as reading a map or telling time by a clock.

• Motor skills: Fine motor skills such as drawing and writing and gross motor skills such as the ability to throw and catch objects.

The specialist will look at your child’s performance in these skills and ask you about the symptoms you have noticed in your child.

Step 3: Analyze the received information. After collecting all the information, the specialist will look for the strengths and weaknesses that are characteristic of children with ADHD. This will help determine if your child has a disability.

General strengths:

• The level of intelligence is average or above average;

• Good verbal skills;

• Early speech development;

• Good memory and ability to repeat what was said;

• Learns better what he heard than what he saw.

General weaknesses:

• Social skills;

• Balance, coordination, handwriting;

• Understanding cause and effect;

• Visualization of information;

• Activity level (higher at a young age, decreases with age).

What disorders are associated with NRO?

Nonverbal learning disorder is the disorder most closely associated with problems with social skills. However, there are several other disorders that prevent children from making friends. These disorders are not related, but they may occur together with NMR:

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• ADHD: Children with ADHD may initially be misdiagnosed with ADHD. Both deviations have similar symptoms, such as excessive talkativeness, poor coordination and the habit of interrupting the interlocutor. But ADHD is not a learning disorder. This is a brain disorder that makes it difficult for children to concentrate, think about consequences, and control impulses.

• Speech development disorders: these are problems with speech (expressive speech development disorder) and language understanding (receptive speech development disorder). Children with these disabilities find it difficult to understand and use sign language, follow directions, and carry on a conversation. NRO may also resemble some of the symptoms of social communication disorder.

• Asperger’s Syndrome: This is a developmental disorder that affects a child’s ability to socialize and communicate with others. This is a mild form of autism. Many of the symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome and NRO overlap, and researchers suggest that about 80% of children with Asperger’s Syndrome also have NRO. But these are two separate disorders.

“We have the potential to help children who are lagging behind reach the norm and even exceed it!”

Watch part of Dr. Michael Merzenich’s TED talk in 2004 where he talks about brain plasticity-based techniques to correct the workings of a child’s brain to increase their ability to recognize speech, speak, read and learn successfully.

How can professionals help with NRA?

There are a number of treatments and educational strategies that can help your child cope with the symptoms of NRO. These include:

• Social skills training groups where children are taught how to behave in social situations, such as how to greet a friend, join a conversation, and recognize and respond to teasing.

• Parental counseling is needed to help parents learn how to cooperate with teachers and help children improve their social skills.

• Occupational therapy helps reduce fear of the unknown, improve coordination and improve fine motor skills.

• Cognitive therapy helps to cope with anxiety and other types of mental disorders.

• Talk to teachers about how to help your child do well in school.

What can you do at home?

Parenting a child with ADHD can be challenging, but there are many things you can do at home to help your child cope with symptoms and learn social skills. You can also try some of the behavior experts’ strategies. These steps can help you make positive changes in your child’s life and in your family life:

• Think about how you speak. Remember that children with NRA are not good at understanding sarcasm and intonation, and they are likely to take what you say literally. For example, if you say, “If I see that thing in your hands again…,” he may continue to play with the prohibited item, turning away so that you cannot see him. Give clear instructions such as, “Please don’t touch this thing.”

• Help with transitions. Children with NRO tend to dislike change because it is difficult for them to understand it. They may not have the abstract thinking skills needed to imagine what’s next. You can prepare your child for routine changes by using logical explanations. Instead of saying, “We’re going to have dinner with grandma soon,” try, “We’re going to have lunch at grandma’s house tonight because it’s her birthday. We leave in an hour.”

• Watch your child. A child with NRO may be shocked by sudden external stimuli such as noise, smells, sounds, and temperature. Try to avoid situations that may trigger shock reactions in your child.

• Arrange meetings with friends. Help your child find friends with similar interests, whether it’s a love of comics or cooking. Invite friends over for a social experience in a familiar environment. Think about what the children will do, offer them games so that they do not sit idle. It is also best to invite guests at times of the day when the child is usually well-behaved.

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Practice neurological online Fast ForWord method. It is also called “Brain Fitness”. By studying Fast ForWord at home, your child will train brain areas responsible for key executive functions, reading, speech skills, concentration skills, develop memory and other important cognitive skills necessary for successful learning and socialization. Thanks to these activities, more than 3 million children in the world have left special education. classes!

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What can make learning easier?

There are many ways to support your child with NRO:

• Take notes. Monitor the child’s behaviors and symptoms, when and where they occur. Your observations will be valuable information for professionals who can help your child.

• Tell your child’s doctor about your findings to discuss possible next steps. This may include a referral to a psychologist who can conduct a comprehensive assessment and develop a treatment plan.

• Talk to your child’s teacher to find out what problems your child is having at school. Ask what methods of assistance have been used and which ones are most effective. Discuss with teachers if the child needs special education.

• Contact other parents. Discuss your observations with parents who have experienced similar problems, perhaps they can share their successful experience with you.

Nonverbal learning disorder can cause both social and academic problems for your child and there is no proven cure. But there are many approaches, treatments, and strategies that can help your child develop social skills and overcome adversity. By learning as much as possible, you can better help your child.

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Non-verbal communication in children and adolescents

Important steps in human development occur during childhood. From early childhood, the child needs communication. Children with developmental disabilities develop in communication, their main task is the formation and development of means of communication and communication skills.

In adolescence, a number of changes occur in development, in the psyche, new needs and requirements appear. What was attractive yesterday is not interesting today. Losing interests, the child loses contact with the social environment, others and feel lonely.

The child’s body requires an increased expenditure of resources, which, combined with a change of interests, leads to a decrease in school performance. It is in adolescence that interest in his personality appears, he is busy with himself, his appearance and the opinions of others about him.

Development of non-verbal communication in children

Communication is one of the basic human needs. It allows him to exchange information with other people, make decisions and feel accepted in society. The main task of parents and teachers is to develop non-verbal communication skills in children, students.

In the preschool period there is an active formation of the child’s personality and personal mechanisms of behavior. Systematic work on the development of non-verbals improves psychomotor functions, teaches children self-control, and contributes to the successful development of non-verbal communication with peers.

A preschool child is increasingly interested in other children, the need to communicate with peers becomes one of the main ones. Their communication has significant features that distinguish them from communication with adults.

Particular attention should be paid to the non-verbal communication of preschool children. The development of non-verbal skills creates additional opportunities for establishing interpersonal contacts, allows you to understand the true feelings of the interlocutor. Preschool children need to be taught non-verbal means of communication, this process includes:

• Development of facial and body muscles;
• Acquaintance with the basic emotional states and their expression through gestures, facial expressions, postures;
• Expression of emotions in play activities;
• Use of non-verbal means in independent communicative activity.

Note 1

Work on the development of non-verbal means improves the psychomotor functions of children, teaches them to control bodily manifestations, understand the language of emotions, bodies.

Emotional manifestations of children will become bright and expressive, children will learn to express emotions, to be attentive to each other.

Sign language of children and adolescents

The use of non-verbal means of communication, namely gestures, among children and adolescents is a means of marking, i.e. a symbol of a person’s belonging to a certain group. Consider some gestures:

1. Greeting – hug and kiss among girls; among boys – a handshake with game elements (with elements of arm wrestling).
2. Request – fingers extended, palms joined, hands pressed to the chest – accompanied by the word “please” and shaking of the joined palms, which means a request for help, for example, during a test in a lesson.
3. Delight, joy – a sharp movement of the arm bent at the elbow, raised up, when the hand is clenched into a fist, when the hand moves down, the hand is at chest level, accompanied by the word “yes!”.
4. “Stay away from me!” – crossed index and middle fingers, which means “do not touch me, I have nothing to do with it. ”

Note 2

The sign language of children and adolescents is an evolving phenomenon influenced by the social environment.

Informal associations of adolescents

Forming adolescent associations, children use a kind of slang or slang – these are words used by certain groups. Teenage speech can contain either a lot of slang words, or only 5-7 words. For children, it is important that these words are present in the group, in their communication, they are their achievement, a crime of the norms of everyday life, a means of emancipation in communication.

In addition to verbal means, non-verbal means stand out – gestures, facial expressions and postures – aggressive, narrowing the distance. Non-verbal communication of adolescents is a kind of protest to adults. Children often tease each other, show their tongue, fist, “fig”, gesture “fuck”, twist their fingers at the temple.

A common gesture in many countries is the gesture of teasing, attracting attention and provocation – showing the tongue.

Showing the fist is a gesture of threat and rage. Adolescents emotionally demonstrate aggression, which is accompanied by anger.

A “figa” is considered a rude and aggressive gesture – a contemptuous mockery, refusal, mockery of someone.

The “fuck” gesture is considered an insulting sign, interpreted as an obscene swear word.

Twisting a finger at the temple means that a person does not have enough intelligence, this shows a disregard for the mental abilities of some other person.

In non-verbal communication, the social environment in which the teenager is located, as well as his position in relation to non-normative gestures, plays an important role.

Diagnosis of non-verbal communication of adolescents

One of the discussed problems is the problem of selection and development of methods to determine the level of development of the child’s mental abilities. In the field of diagnosing developmental disorders (primary intellectual defects, secondary underdevelopment), this problem is most acute. Many researchers agree that non-verbal tests are one of the means of solving the problem.

The need for them is great in cases of difficulty in verbal communication, low level of speech development, as well as in cases of revealing the level of intelligence development.

Non-verbal tests (“action tests”) do not require a verbal response from the subject, which reflects the intellectual development of the child. The significance of non-verbal indicators increases when compared with verbal indicators.

Teaching non-verbal children communication skills. ~ Autism | ABA

Many people with autism may have disabilities or
functional communication difficulties.
Sometimes it is associated with diseases such as pathology of language development or
apraxia. However, the most common reason is a significant deficiency
developing skills in motivation, speech processing and social
interactions. Speech delay can also be caused by severe ear problems.
infections that could lead to hearing loss or adversely affect
speech processing at the most important stages of mental development.

In their practice, ABA professionals often encounter
nonverbal children. The term “pre-verbal” or “non-verbal” means that
the individual does not use vocal communication in a functional manner on a consistent basis
basis (the term “non-vocal” or “non-speaking” from a professional point of view
is preferred because verbal behavior may include
into oneself and non-expressive communication, such as sign language). Most
cases, instead of typical speech, such people use communication inefficiently
or in an inappropriate way (echolalia, etc.). They often communicate using
pointing gestures, directing the actions of others, and mainly through
own behaviour. Almost every therapist has experienced
when a small child, without uttering a word, controls the life of the whole family in
according to your desires. The parents of such a child usually know
that two screams mean “turn on the TV”, a cranky cry means
“take me in your arms”, and the brother’s push means “I don’t want to play”, etc.

It is important that when working with non-verbal children the goal is to
not only in teaching “speaking”. The goal should be effective communication
child. Even verbal children do not always communicate effectively. The situation when
a five-year-old child is taught to distinguish between colors and body parts while he
cannot tell an adult that he is hungry, an example illustrates well
a child who can talk but does not use his speech to communicate.

When you think of a “verbal” child, you need to think
not only about “speaking”. How does the child communicate? Does he have a good
receptive speech, even if he does not speak? Does the child have verbal
stimulation, cooing, does he hum songs or melodies? Does the child cry when
frustrated, or does he make noise without saying a word? Relying on your own
experience, some ABA professionals say that verbal stimulation, frequent
babble, demonstration of social consciousness or attention (for example, a child
stares at your face when you sing to it) are good
indicators that a non-verbal child will begin to speak. Children,
producing echo responses, singing songs without words and “playing” with speech sounds often
achieve rapid success with intensive speech intervention.

Behavior is a significant part of communication.
It is believed that children who do not know how to communicate or are
non-verbal, the most persistent and complex behavioral problems are observed.
Why? Imagine that you are in an environment where no one is speaking.
in your language. You are very hungry and you are trying to convince these people to feed you.
How long will you use gestures before you start pushing someone
or throw things?

If a child lacks intrinsic motivation to
communication, and there is no external need for communication, then from the point of view of such a child
it is much easier to participate in behavior than in communication. The child who
allow you to drop your plate on the floor during dinner to indicate that
he is full, has zero incentive to select words, form sounds and
speaking.

Gain is also of great importance. To
child with autism
learned to communicate, you need the presence of encouragement. Many parents think
« Why should we encourage the child to speak? Other kids are just
start talking and they don’t need M&M’s for that.”
One of the characteristics of autism spectrum disorders is
quality disruption of communication. This may mean that the child does not own
speech, developmental delay, or lack of motivation
to use their available speech
skills.

There are many options for teaching non-verbal
children’s communication skills,
and often BCBA specialists or ABA consultants recommend
use several approaches at the same time. Let’s talk about different teaching methods
communications.

Verbal behavioral approach . There are many
various ways of applying Applied Behavior Analysis, and verbal
behavior is one of the offshoots of ABA therapy. verbal behavior is
functional speech orientation. Verbal behavioral approach
involves picking up and building intrinsic motivation, as well as
using rewards to enhance communication through verbal
actions (mand / request, tact / name
objects and actions, etc. ). Speech is viewed and taught as
behavior, broken down into components. If a child loves ice cream, one of
the first words he learns to say will be “ice cream”. That is,
the child’s motivation to obtain the desired object is used to form
speech: said “ice cream” – got ice cream. Within this approach, for
Repetition, prompting and procedure are also used to obtain the desired responses.
reaction formation. Initially, the “me” response is seen as acceptable.
to ask for the ball. Over time (and with careful analysis
data) the criteria for the reaction become more and more stringent until
the child will not learn to say “ball”.

Speech Therapy/Speech Therapy . As a rule, out of 10 children, with
where an ABA therapist works, about 6-7 children also receive speech therapy.
Many parents believe that speech therapy is the only way to teach
non-verbal child to talk. Speech therapists often work with
conditions such as stuttering, speech impairment, etc. For some children speech
therapy is very effective, while others with its help do not achieve
significant results. It is very important that when looking for specialists,
working with speech defects, parents were guided by speech therapists who
have experience with autism or problem behavior . It is also necessary
pay attention to the intensity of the services offered. Many children receiving
speech therapy, are engaged with a speech therapist for only 15-45 minutes a week. For
non-verbal, low-functioning child with autism, this may be
insufficient to achieve significant goals. If the child receives speech
therapy and at the same time demonstrates serious progress, there is a high probability that
that his team and the ABA and speech therapist work closely together.
Cooperation between all team members is of utmost importance.

Sign language . Should always combine oral
the name of the object with sign language, so that the child can simultaneously not only
learn gesture, but also heard the necessary word. When considering such
variant of communication, like sign language, the question usually immediately arises about
the age of the child, and also about the level of development of fine motor skills
him. If the child has poor fine motor skills and cannot
reproduce various complex gestures for communication, in which case the language
gestures is not the best choice (although you can still train him
approximate reactions). Age is of great importance in this case. If a
the child is only 2 years old, and he spends all his time at home with mom and dad,
then sign language is a good option. However, if the child is 11 years old and
goes to school, and then stays for circles and attends the karate section, then everything
those people with whom he regularly contacts will also need to understand
child gestures. If such a child approaches his teacher at recess and
will show a “red notebook” with gestures, will the teacher understand him? If children do not receive
quick reaction to sign language, they stop using it. Besides,
one very common mistake is initially teaching a child
gesture “more”, which is subsequently generalized. Children are “stuck” on this gesture,
asking adults for “more”, although often adults simply do not know
what is this about. If you still teach your child the “more” gesture, be sure to
associate it with the specific item it is asking for.

Communication system PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System). C
PECS communication system
child learns to communicate by exchanging picture cards
items/objects to obtain those items or objects. The PECS system is easy to use,
can be applied in various environmental conditions, and in the process it can
improve and complicate. You can teach your child to build complete
sentences, asking for several things at once, describing your day,
talk to people, etc. Unlike sign language, the advantage of PECS
is that the cards and photographs are accessible to the understanding of any person. AT
this system can use pictures or photographs of objects, in
depending on what works best for each individual child.
Another advantage of the PECS system
is communication between peers. The average three year old may not
recognize the gesture that means the word “play”, but he will understand that the photo
dollhouse means “Do you want to play dollhouse?”. Disadvantages of PECS include
the difficulty of maintaining a full range of cards/photos, as well as the rapid
changing interests in the child, which may require very frequent updating of the kit
cards.

Auxiliary communication devices . Auxiliary
communication devices recreate a child’s speech using a simulated
voice. The child inserts cards or presses buttons, and the mechanism speaks.
Since we are talking about technical equipment, it is assumed that the child
has the cognitive ability to use it independently
equipment. However, if the family has an iPad, there are many applications for
communications that are available to non-verbal children and allow them to
communicate with just a few finger taps. advantage
auxiliary communication systems is
that they can be used by people with different physical
limitations as they can be modified and adapted for children,
having problems with vision, hearing, typing, etc. Such devices
are portable and allow the child to quickly express their desires, thoughts,
needs and personal opinion in almost any setting.

Speech immersion . This method is usually
used in kindergartens and other preschool institutions where
work with children with special needs. During the day, the child is immersed in
language environment in order to create a stimulating atmosphere conducive to
the formation and development of speech. All items are clearly marked with photographs and
words, children are engaged in conversation, even if they cannot speak (“David,
is my coat blue? Nod your head if my coat is blue!”) and the teachers
work individually with each child on playing skills in turn, establishing
eye contact, joint attention, etc. Several such groups
reminiscent of the technique of teaching support skills. The advantage of the speech immersion method is the ease with which
This method can be used by parents with their child. This approach
focuses on major development milestones that are a prerequisite for
the appearance of the first words, for example, babble, recognition of distant sounds,
imitation of actions, reaction to instructions and communication using gestures.
1:1 work with a child also involves an abundance of rewards and a natural
way of interaction. For example, the instructor may act as if babbling
child – these are words, and engage in a conversation with the child. Describe your actions
and the actions of the child, even if he does not respond to you (“We are now climbing
steps. Let’s count the steps: 1,2,3,4…”). During the story
try to establish eye contact with the child, build interaction
on the basis of common interests, keep a lively expression, etc.

Parenting advice . A wide range of programs, books, resources
and institutions promising to teach language skills to autistic children may be
somewhat frightening and incomprehensible to parents. Be Critical Consumers
and select proven methods with research
rationale that clearly explains
how the treatment works and what it includes. Ask a lot of questions! Before
pay for treatment or buy a book, let the specialist explain to you exactly how
it works.

No matter what approach you choose to teach
child with autism communication skills,
it must include behavior control in order to be
efficient and consistent under various environmental conditions and with
by various people. The child must learn that is nothing but the system
communications will no longer work. This means that if you teach a child
using sign language to ask for cookies, he can no longer
allow climbing on the kitchen table and taking a box of cookies from the top shelf
closet. Make communication with you a requirement, otherwise
the child will not communicate.

The child must also understand that interacting with people leads to
positive consequences. If a child has just learned to ask for “juice”, then
the first step is to get a sip of juice every time he says “juice”.
The child must see that communication with people promptly satisfies him.
needs and desires. If you have developed and implemented a communication system for
child with autism and the results of your efforts are inconsistent, ask yourself: “Is
Is this communication system the only way for a child to get what
does he want or what does he need? If the answer is no, then maybe
that’s why you don’t see progress.