Tips to learn non-verbal communication

Communicating with people around us is part of life.

For some children with disabilities, communication through spoken words may not be possible.

There are several disorders that can affect the way children communicate. In these cases non-verbal communication can be used for interaction.

Non-verbal communication is made up of visual factors such as body language, appearance, voice, and touch.

The child needs to learn motor skills to be able to point or touch an object while communicating. It has been found that using visual communication is more meaningful and motivating to children with autism.

The best way to help children learn is through a method of fun and games.

Here are some tips that can help special needs children learn non-verbal communication.

– Stay close to the child so that they pay attention to you and are focused on you.

– Use simple toys such as colorful balls, play dough, Lego sets, dolls, drawing tools, marbles, water beads, musical toys, puppets,
swings, slides, to teach about sharing and holding objects.

– Use drawing and puzzles to encourage fine motor skills. Other toys such as construction sets and building blocks can be used to improve grasp and coordination.

– Instead of pointing to an object, ask the child to touch and indicate.

– Different activities can be played such as sorting similar colored or shaped objects from a bunch. Matching similar objects can help the child to learn to identify different objects.