.png){kind=small}
Researching Strategies
Understanding symptoms, strategies, and services can improve individual lives.
About Communication Strategies
After an autism diagnosis, families and support teams face the crucial task of selecting communication strategies to empower the individual. This process can feel overwhelming for some, while others find it more straightforward. Communication approaches range from high-tech AAC devices and structured language programs to naturalistic, everyday strategies that integrate seamlessly into the person's life. Some prioritize evidence-based methods validated by research; others focus on intuitive, low-pressure approaches that feel more like natural support than formal therapy. These pathways aren't mutually exclusive—many teams successfully blend multiple methods. Regardless of the chosen strategies, fostering clear communication not only between the autistic individual and their support network but also among all team members is essential for creating a cohesive, responsive environment that honors the person's unique voice and needs.
1. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Tools
These are methods used to supplement or replace speech.
-
No-Tech/Low-Tech AAC:
-
Core Boards/Communication Books: Binders or boards with categorized vocabulary (nouns, verbs, feelings, etc.) that the person points to.
-
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): A structured system where the individual hands a picture to a partner to communicate.
-
Choice Boards: Simple boards with 2-4 options (e.g., "apple" vs. "crackers," "swing" vs. "walk") to empower making choices.
-
-
High-Tech AAC (Apps & Dedicated Devices):
-
ProLoQuo2Go, TouchChat, LAMP Words for Life: Robust, symbol-based apps for iOS that allow users to build sentences on a tablet.
-
AAC Devices (e.g., from Tobii Dynavox, PRC): Dedicated speech-generating devices, often with eye-gaze technology for those with limited motor skills.
-
2. Visual Support Strategies
Visuals make language concrete, reduce anxiety, and aid processing.
-
Visual Schedules: Use pictures or words to outline the day's sequence. This reduces anxiety about "what's next."
-
First-Then Boards: A simple two-step visual (e.g., "FIRST: clean up, THEN: iPad") to clarify expectations and motivate.
-
Emotion Cards & Scales: Visual tools to help someone identify and communicate their emotional state (e.g., a 1-5 "frustration scale").
-
Social Stories™: Short, personalized stories that explain social situations and expected behaviors using pictures and text.
3. Environmental & Interaction Strategies
How we set up the space and ourselves as communication partners is critical.
-
Wait Time: After asking a question or making a statement, wait at least 10-15 seconds. Processing can take longer.
-
Reduce Verbal Demands: Don't fire questions Rapidly. Use more comments ("I see you're looking at the car") than questions ("What is that?").
-
Accept All Communication: Treat any attempt to communicate (a gesture, a sound, leading you by the hand, looking at an object) as valid and respond to it.
-
Modeling: Use the person's AAC system yourself to show them how it works (e.g., point to "I" + "want" + "drink" on their board when offering a drink).
4. Skill-Building & Therapeutic Approaches
-
Speech-Language Therapy (AAC Focus): An SLP can assess and recommend the best tools and strategies.
-
Occupational Therapy (OT): Addresses sensory needs that may be a barrier to communication (e.g., being overwhelmed by noise makes it hard to focus on talking).
-
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) - Controversial Note: While some practices use ABA to shape verbal behavior, many in the Autistic community criticize it for being compliance-based. A modern, person-centered approach focuses on motivation and naturalistic teaching.
5. Technology-Assisted Tools
-
Text-to-Speech & Typing: For those who can spell or type, apps like Predictable or simply using a notes app can be powerful.
-
Voice Banking: For individuals who may lose speech, recording their voice now for a future device.
How to Choose & Implement:
-
Start with a Professional Assessment: A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) is essential for a proper AAC evaluation.
-
Follow the Individual's Lead: Their interests and motivations are the key. If they love trains, the AAC system must have train vocabulary.
-
Make it Always Available: The communication tool must be present and charged at all times, not just brought out during "therapy time."
-
The Golden Rule: Presume Competence. Start with a robust vocabulary. The goal is not just to request items but to comment, ask questions, tell jokes, and complain—to have a full voice.
