how to help a 5year old child communicate that cannot speak or sign?

Missy - posted on 01/28/2012

I have experienced the same behavioral issues with my boy. We started using PECS-picture exchange communication system. I'm not sure if you're familiar with that, but he uses pictures to show you what he wants and does one on one therapy time with his Speach Therapists to work on both signing and PECS. After we started that, his attitude improved and his frustration was minimized.



He also started seeing a behavioral specialist and they encouraged me to only give him the desired item or activity when communicated appropriately by using Sign or PECS.



I hope this was some help to you!

Deborah - posted on 01/27/2012

I don't like the idea of meds for kids (MAYBE natural herbal). My son is non-verbal and 8 yrs with Autism. If your child speaks you have an advantage over me :) This is what I'm doing with his agression: "Well, I have been trying to give my son a label for his emotions when he is feeling them (I can tell what he is feeling somewhat of course by his behavior and sounds). I started with 'mad' because this is the emotion most associated with the aggression. He has begun saying 'ma' for 'mad' as that is his level of speech-the first couple letters of words. I had to teach him the 'mmm' sound first with repitition. When he gets aggressive, I have been ignoring the slaps/kicks/aggressive behavior (distancing myself slightly if needed) with no eye contact and no reaction. I ask him 'are you mad?' with a calm quiet tone. Then I cue him by telling him 'say mad' (repeating it if I have to), when he tries I tell him 'good job saying mad'. Sometimes I don't need the cue, he will answer my question with 'ma!' now we need to take care of him yelling it out (leading by example). It didn't take long for him to realize that using his emotion words is a lot easier and more of a relief than hitting and kicking. If he is really upset, I try to redirect to another activity like a book or his fidget/sensory item after he says 'ma'. He sometimes finds the need to say it a few times so each time I tell him 'good job saying mad' and I try to remain as calm and quiet as I can, remembering emotions are transferable and that he has sound sensitivity. I have started with the next emotions-Sad and Happy-so that he might understand there is a difference between labels, there are many emotions and that all of them are ok to feel. This has been a learning opportunity for both of us. The aggression has minimized considerably, I am so proud of him! Although all kids with Autism are different, I wanted to share this because the more tools you have in your toolkit, the better chance you have of getting the job done." PECs also really helped my son. Message me if you want more info on PECs.

Missy - posted on 03/01/2010

As well as using PECS, speech, and sign, we are labling everything in the household. Since some children learn to read, before speaking/signing. I figure it's worth a shot to do a "whole" communication effort to get my 6 year old with CHARGE Syndrome communicating.

Lisa - posted on 02/25/2010

PECS! They have done wonders for my son! And seriousley if you think the speech therapist is not doing a good job, she probably isn't. Interview a new one, because if he isn't benefiting from her than you are wasting your time. I know because I have been there and done that! For making your own PECS cards visit www.mrsriley.com It is an easy website to make your own picture cards. And very inexpensive option. Other options are hundreds of dollars. I have benefited from her website tremendously! I think it's only 3.95 per month! I have plenty of ideas for communication if you would like more. Good luck, and God bless you on your journey through special needs.

Penelope - posted on 02/25/2010

my son can not speak or sign and continually regresses after multiple seizures. for him they started out with communication boards and picture boards that allowwed him to pick what he wanted to eat,play with,wear ect... and then progressed to switches that activated what he wanted those are just some suggestions to talk over with your therapist and if they have not suggested these things then i suggest getting a new therapist

Julie - posted on 02/25/2010

To all of you: PECS is WONDERFUL!!! My almost 6-yr-old has Autism and we started with a PECS book when he was 3. The actual programs, (Boardmaker, etc.) are quite expensive, but I did order a "true" PECs book and take all of our pics myself. Then you can edit them or paste them into a word processing program to the size you need (we use 2 inch squares) and laminate and put velcro on the backs. When Joshua needs something that we don't understand, he gets his book, chooses the pics and lets us know! If we don't have a pic, we TRY to eventually figure out what he wants and get one ASAP to avoid mega meltdowns! You can also use google image search for most pics you need that aren't specific to items in your house! Any questions, just ask! If I don't know the answers, I'll find them! Best of luck to you!!!

Pamela - posted on 02/25/2010

my daughter is deaf and before she learned to sign we used a book with laminated pictures of daily needs and wants such as food,toys,bathroom etc. the pictures were attached with velcro so whenever she needed something she pulled tthe picture from the book and brought it to me.this helped us greatly and ihope it helps you too

Tashia - posted on 02/24/2010

i am going through the exact same thing, my 5yr old son never signed or spoke since he was born, he just makes alot of sounds and we must guess what hes saying. i need help.

Michelle - posted on 02/24/2010

My son is autistic and 10yrs.I would get another speech theripist, even if he can't talk there are other ways she should be helping your son. PECS worked for my son, they can be expensive so I made my own taking pics. then putting them on velcro to attach to a book he could take with him where he went. How are his fine motor skills ? My son couldn't sign cause his fine motor,His fingers couldn't make the signs right.

Kathy - posted on 02/23/2010

Hi Louise,
You don't say if your son is ambulatory or not. If he has good head control you could use a head light for him to at least point to what he wants. These are very easy to find in sporting goods stores now. This might be a little more immediate than the cards.

Stacy - posted on 02/23/2010

Look into assistive technology. PECs did not work for us. My son is now eight and does not speak or sign. Do not rely on a speech therapist only and get advice from a specialist. We currenlty use a board that has pictures, but speaks recorded messages when he pushes them. It is a long process, but he is using it more and more.

Wanda - posted on 02/22/2010

Hi Louise, I certainly can understand you & your son's frustration. My daughter, Leah, now 30 yrs old. is still non-verbal. She has never signed nor used any of the accessories that the others have posted about. She did have about 18 months of speech therapy with a great therapist. She tried many ways to get Leah to speak. None of them ever did. However, I do think that her consistency did help Leah a great deal. As I said, Leah still does not speak, but MOST of the time we can communicate very well. Patience is of the utmost importance. If we as parents get agetated, then our children respond with agetation. So it is very important to talk calmly with a calm expression one that your child sees as sincerely trying to help him. Believe you me, it does not work all the time!! I have been physically attacked because of Leah's frustrations in not being able to make me understand her needs. If this happens, I try to either remove her or myself from the situation until she calms down. (not as easy as it sounds) Leah has very seldom taken her anger/frustration out on anyone other than immediate family members that I know of. The key is to keep the situation as calm as possible and assure your son that you want to understand. Ask that he show you what it is that he needs/wants. Let him do as much as he can for himself. For instance, if he wants to eat, keep cereals, snacks, that he is allowed to have where he has access to them and let him choose what he wants. Sorry, if I go into too much detail, but my mother loved Leah so much and helped me with her at this age (5 yrs) that she would not give Leah freedom to do this. My mom did everything for Leah--even though I asked that she didn't. That just made it harder for us to make Leah more independent. We kept plastic bowls, glasses, etc. for her to use so that she would not break anything if she dropped it. Also, we tried to keep days as routine as possible. We still do this. I hope I have been of some help to you. Just keep the faith and be patient. Leah still lives @ home and only attends a day program Mon-Fri so believe you me, I know it is not easy. But it will get easier as your son matures. Take comfort in the fact that there are more of us moms out there that face similar situations everyday that you don't even realize. I know I felt so alone for many, many years!! Please feel free to contact me if you ever need to just "vent" or ask any questions. My email is cray31@hotmail.com. Keep us posted on your progress. God bless!

Misti - posted on 02/22/2010

I agree with all the posts recommending PECS. My son is autistic and started out with PECS when he was 3. It was recommended by an autism consultant for the special education pre-school he attended. He progressed with this system that eventually he had to move on to a Springboard by Prentke Romich. Same concept just pressing buttons so that it talks instead of locating pictures. This is their website if you want to see what they look like: https://store.prentrom.com.

They can be pricey so using 1x1 or 2x2 laminated pictures with velcro is the best way to start. My son is on a waiver so we were able to get the Springboard covered. He was not when first diagnosed so PECS helped. Also, here is the PECS website for helpful information: http://www.pecsusa.com.

As far as the speech therapist, there should have been some sort of progression. Talk to the provider about your concerns about the therapist in that she isn't suggesting alternative communication since there hasn't been any progression. My son is now 13 and we have only had to switch speech therapists once over the years. He is still non-verbal and still uses pictures in school, at home, and in therapy.

Iridescent - posted on 02/22/2010

Barb, that is an advertisement for RELIV and is completely inappropriate.

Teresa - posted on 02/22/2010

Great ideas! There are boxes that speak for the student if he hit's a button, with pictures on each button. If motor skills are a problem, then use larger buttons with only 6 or so pictures. You can make a recording of what each button will say, with the voice you want to use. "I'm hungry" for one button. "Yes, thank you" for another, and so on.

Call an IEP team meeting to explore your options, and don't let them talk you out of what you know your child needs. Do your research before you go into the meeting, so that you know what you want and you don't get flustered. And, take a good friend along for support when your tongue is tied. Best wishes!

Leslie - posted on 02/21/2010

I agree with Amy Lea. PECS are great for many different situations. If unfamiliar with them, they are pictures for communication. You can look at the site on the internet if u have a computer & even print off the pictures that you want/need. You can put them on cardboard, laminate them, and have them handy for your son to use when he needs them.

Kate - posted on 02/21/2010

Hi there
Pictures cards sound like the way to go with your son. Hopefully it will empower him and give his life some order and understanding. Good luck

Iridescent - posted on 02/20/2010

That's what PECS is.

Heather - posted on 02/20/2010

one of the most basic types of communication is pictures. We took pics of everything my son uses and labeled them, so everyone called the item by the same name for consistency. We always presented him with 2 pics so he could choose what he wanted. We're doing it at school too, it's very easy (and cheap)!

Cherish - posted on 02/20/2010

Hi,
My son started by using PECs(we called them tickets...lol)
Here is a link where you can download and print them for FREE
http://trainland.tripod.com/pecs.htm
He is now using a communication device called Vantage light....

Kerry - posted on 02/20/2010

Ditto Amy! There are other ways to communicate! Frustrating for all when you can't express your needs and desires!!! There are "augmentative communication evaluations" that can help determine what alternative to speech/sign that may be best to try with your child. In the meantime, try some PECS or visual pictures of common items/tasks in his day. Maybe some simple pictures of facial expressions for emotions? Once you get the right person helping you, there is SO much hope! Hang in there.

Iridescent - posted on 02/20/2010

The speech therapist is not only required to make an effort to teach him to speak or sign, but also (when needed) start other types of communication. Some examples are PECS, computer systems, laminate cards, electronic buttons, and I know there are many more. Request starting to find a system that works for him, and if they refuse, request an emergency IEP meeting to get it started. He has every right to begin to communicate.