Spectrum kids are visual learners, and when they get visual aid they don’t get anxious and it’s easy to communicate with them.
Communication book is your handy medium to prepare your child or deal with situations where you are not able to communicate with your child verbally. Since this is a visual book, you can use it to convey your messages easily and without raising the anxiety levels of your child.
BEGIN
A communication book is a combination of written commands and picture cards. You can use a file, spiral book, or a notepad with few selected cards that are used frequently - Yes/No, Good/Bad, More/Finished, Home, Go to, Washroom, Like/Don’t like, want/don’t want, and so on, along with space where you can write down things if need be.
The utility of this book is not just for you to convey what you want to your child but also the other way round. You should coach your child to pull out this communication book in times of need and pull the card to express the need. E.g. If the child is thirsty or wants to go back home, he should be able to pick the book and point or take out the card to indicate what he wants from you.
START
Carry this communication book everywhere you go, it should be small and handy, easy to carry from play area to therapy center – everywhere you go.
STOP
Stop doing a lot of repetitive talks to the child or trying to convey something only verbally, which the child is just not ready to understand. If we are on cards, let the visual cards and cues take their place.
Example:
You take your child to the play area of the society everyday, where he is fascinated with some other child’s bicycle and wants to ride that. 1-2 days its ok, but if this becomes a pattern, or if the other child doesn’t want to give his cycle or exchange with yours, then it gets troublesome and chances of your child throwing tantrums, showing behaviors or going into meltdowns increase.
Now, if you know of some situation like above beforehand, you can have it written in the communication book,(situation and what is expected from the child) make the child read and understand and carry the book with you.
if any situation suddenly arises then write or draw it @the spot and show it to the child.
Use this book to effectively show the child what you want in any and all situations. At the same time coach him to use this book and communicate things back to you.