Communication Development Strategies: Effect On Communication Skills of Children With Autism
Communication Development Strategies: Effect On Communication Skills of Children With Autism
Communication Development Strategies: Effect On Communication Skills of Children With Autism
INTRODUCTION
All people with autism experience language and communication difficulties,
although there are considerable differences in language ability among individuals. Some
are non-verbal while others may have extensive language with deficits in the area of
pragmatics (the social use of language). People with autism may seem caught up in a
private world in which communication is unimportant. This is not an intentional action but
rather an inability to communicate. Language difficulties that may be present include:
◊ restricted vocabulary:
• dominated by nouns
• inappropriate interrupting
• Use sentences to talk to the student. Keep in mind that you are modelling speech
as well as trying to communicate with the student.
• Use language that is clear, simple, and concise. Figures of speech and irony or
sarcasm will only confuse students with communication difficulties.
• Allow time for the student to process the information. It may be necessary to talk
more slowly or to pause between words. The pace of speech depends on the ability of the
individual student.
Learning to listen
Students with autism often need structured lessons on how to listen. Reinforcing
listening efforts rather than assuming that listening is an expected and automatic behavior
may be necessary. Breaking listening down into components for the student and
reinforcing each component may be helpful—for example, teaching the student to face the
speaker, look at one spot (which does not mean they must make eye contact), and place
hands in a planned position, and praising or otherwise rewarding each step.
Use visual input to aid comprehension of oral speech. Visual aids may help obtain
and maintain the student’s attention. Accompanying spoken language with relevant objects,
pictures, and other visual supports can help with comprehension. Experienced teachers of
students with autism suggest the use of photographs to support understanding of the
content of oral language communication. Interestingly, many students with autism use
reading to support oral comprehension rather than the expected reverse of using oral
language to support reading. This makes reading instruction even more significant for
these students.
When working with students who are higher functioning, it is easy to assume that
they understand information, particularly if they are able to repeat it. However, even
though there may be good recall, the student may not grasp the intended meaning. It is
important to check for comprehension.
Developing oral language expression
Students with autism may not develop traditional oral language, but most do
develop some form of communication. It is important that people involved with the student
have a thorough knowledge of the student’s form of expression and that they adjust their
expectations for communication accordingly. For students with limited oral expression,
teachers and families should accept limited verbal attempts and nonverbal behavior as
communicative. A customized communication dictionary is a very useful tool in which staff
and parents can document what the student says and what is meant, along with planned
adult responses to language attempts.
Virtually all people with autism have difficulty with the pragmatics of
communication—the interpretation and use of language in social situations. Even those
individuals who have a good vocabulary and appear to have a command of the language
may have a restricted understanding of social and conversational interactions.
Simple drawings are an effective strategy for teaching conversation skills. These
drawings illustrate what people say and do and emphasize what they may be thinking. A
set of symbolic drawings can be used to represent basic conversational concepts, such as
listening, interrupting, loud and quiet words, talk and thoughts. Colours may be
incorporated to represent the emotional context. Pictures with scripts can also be used to
develop conversation skills and communication appropriate to specific social contexts and
situations.
People with autism have difficulty understanding subtle social messages and rules,
and also have problems interpreting the non-verbal communication of others. It may be
helpful to provide the student with a concrete rule when one does exist, and to present it in
a visual format, by writing it down or incorporating it into a social story or comic strip
conversation.
Communication Development
Profile of ◊ Learning to Listen Improvement in
respondents
◊ Developing oral comprehension Communication
in terms of
Skills of Children
age, gender
◊ Developing oral expression with Autism
and interests
◊ Developing conversation skills
HYPOTHESIS
The class will be exposed to different strategies in teaching social skills in the hopes
of improving their social skills. The study postulates four hypotheses to be tested:
H1: If the teacher provides different strategies to make the students learn to listen,
then students will likely do so.
H2: By providing different strategies in developing oral comprehension, students
will have a big significant effect on their oral and reading comprehension.
H3: By providing different strategies in developing oral expression, students will be
communicative.
H4: By providing different strategies in developing conversation skills, students will
interact with others.
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The ability to communicate allows us to interact with the world around us, make
personal connections with others and learn new things. However, many children with
autism often demonstrate significant challenges in the areas of communication and social
interaction. These challenges can range from mild to severe, depending on the cognitive
abilities of the child. Many children with autism have difficulty effectively using language
for the purposes of communication. Some children may be nonverbal and unable to speak,
some may have speech that is non-functional and others may have extensive vocabularies
and are able to talk about certain topics in great detail.
This study will help the students to increase their expressive language skills, such as
increasing vocabulary, using appropriate verbs and pronouns and using phrases and
sentences for a variety of purposes (e.g., labeling, protesting, commenting, requesting, etc.).
And also, this will help to increase a child’s ability to understand and use language
appropriately in the classroom and to facilitate play and social interactions with a child’s
peers.
TYPE OF RESEARCH
In order to build knowledge, as well as developing and explaining the reasons
behind the different teaching approaches, this research will use a qualitative interpretative
approach. It is the nature of interpretive inquiry to seek to understand a phenomenon and
to interpret meaning within the social and cultural context of the natural setting. This study
will collect qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and then analyzed it using
thematic analysis. The intent of the thematic approach was to identify and analyze patterns
and regularities and progressively build up an interpretation of the field under study.
SOURCE OF DATA
This research will provide quantitative data in order to find out whether there is
significant changes prior to the involvement of the interventions provided. In order for this
research to be relevant, there are sources of data needed.
In this research, there will be observations on the behavior of the students and
his/her perception in learning. The oral discussions and the participation in the classroom
will be a fruitful information in the research. Thus, all of the data needed to find whether
there will be a significant change on the social skills on a child will be taken.
INSTRUMENTS
Instruments may vary depending on the interventions the researcher wants to put
action to. To develop oral language comprehension, the researcher should use
photographs, to support understanding of the content of oral language communication. On
the other hand, to develop oral expression, students who rely on pictorial representations
to communicate will need to learn that a drawing or representation has a name and that it
can give direction, or tell us what to do.
Simple drawings are an effective strategy for teaching conversation skills. These
drawings illustrate what people say and do and emphasize what they may be thinking. A
set of symbolic drawings can be used to represent basic conversational concepts, such as
listening, interrupting, loud and quiet words, talk and thoughts.
DATA ANALYSIS
By providing different strategies in communication development, the students’
communication skills should improve. Students should have improve their understanding
and broaden their vocabulary.
Also, they should become more active in the class and listen to the lesson. They
should have pay attention and become more expressive in the class. They should also tend
to participate in group activities and play with each other.
COST ESTIMATES
Varies on the instruments needed. The materials needed for providing support to
the children with autism. As well as the materials needed in presenting the problem. If
possible, the dvd player and television for an innovative display of lessons. Overall, this
research estimates that the cost that most likely to be needed will be less than five hundred
pesos (P500.00).
REFERENCE
Gray, C., Comic Strip Conversations, 1994.
Hunt, P., et al., “Acquisition of conversation skills and the reduction of inappropriate
Koegel, R. L., et al., “Emerging interventions for children with autism,” Teaching
Children With Autism: Strategies for Initiating Positive Interactions and Improving
Learning Opportunities, 1995.
Lindblad, T., “Language and communication programming and intervention for children
Quill, K. A., “Visually cued instruction for children with autism and pervasive