49 Help Your Child With Autism Communicate

Help Your Child With Autism Communicate

By Speech Therapy Teacher

Expanding utterances is an important goal for children with autism who may struggle with communication and language development. Here are some strategies that can be helpful in helping children with autism expand their utterances:

Model correct language: It's important to model correct language for children with autism. This means using complete sentences and using words and phrases that are appropriate for the child's age and ability level. By hearing correct language, children with autism can learn to use it themselves.

Use visual aids: Visual aids, such as pictures, drawings, or videos, can be helpful in helping children with autism expand their utterances. For example, you can show a picture of a cat and ask the child to say "I see a cat." Using visual aids can make language more concrete and easier to understand.

Use prompts: Prompting can be a helpful strategy for encouraging children with autism to expand their utterances. For example, you might say, "Tell me more about the cat. What color is it?" This can encourage the child to use more descriptive language.

Use repetition: Repetition is a helpful strategy for children with autism who may struggle with language processing. Repeat what the child says and add to it. For example, if the child says "cat," you can repeat "Yes, a cat. It's a black cat."

Play games: Playing games that involve language can be a fun way to encourage children with autism to expand their utterances. For example, you can play "I Spy" and encourage the child to use longer phrases to describe what they see.

Remember, each child with autism is unique and may respond differently to these strategies. It's important to work with the child's individual strengths and challenges when working on language development.