Communication Tools for Students with Autism

As discussed in my previous post and in my earlier post about Carly, the autistic girl who finally found her "voice" through use of a computer, students with autism face 

considerable challenges with expressive communication. In this post, I will discuss strategies to assist autistic students communicate basic needs in the classroom and at home.

Break Cards:
Break cards allow autistic children to express the need to take a break from an activity, task, or person.  Ideally, having the ability to communicate the need for a break will reduce anxiety, agitation, and frustration. As shown below, break cards can be designed to simply ask for a break or they can include options for the student to express both the need for a break and the reason why.  When taking a break, the student should have a calming place to go or have the use of a calming sensory device.

 

Choice Cards:
Visual supports, like the choice cards below, allow autistic students to express their needs and preferences regardless of their ability to communicate verbally. Like all children, autistic students feel empowered when they are given options. Having the ability to make their own decisions can improve the communication skills and  behavior of autistic children. Choice cards can be designed to present options for what the student would like to do when calm and focused or for when the student is upset and needs to communicate a solution for calming down. 

Past Event Cards:
Autistic students often experience stress during transitions which can present as tantrums, aggressive behavior, or refusal.  This rigidity and resistance to change can lead to difficulty in acquiring new skills.  As a result, providing a predicable environment that also offers supports for inevitable changes in routine is an important component in classroom strategies involving autistic students.  Visual supports, such as past event cards, can be used to prepare autistic students for regular transitions throughout the day as well as for new events.  General templates, as shown below, can be developed for school and home to help the student visualize the new event and relate it to past experience.