COMMUNICATION IS MORE THAN JUST SPEECH

Author: Anjali Nunes | Aug 21, 2015

“Communication” is a big word and also has many meanings. To most of us typically developing humans, we hone in or focus solely on communication as what we say and how we say it or to put it simply ‘speech’. But communication in its true sense is so much more than that. We can communicate with just a look (eye contact); actions (gestures); facial expressions, signs, writing etc. For children whose communication development is delayed or non-existent, alternative systems of communication can give them a much needed voice. Children with autism spectrum disorder, hearing impairments, Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy etc. can truly benefit from an alternative system of communication. Once such system is the Picture Exchange Communication System or PECS in short.

PECS teaches individuals to communicate for their needs and wants as well as comment on things around them but in the form of pictures. It has been found to have most benefits for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

I remember one little boy diagnosed with ASD. When I first saw him he was nonverbal and his lack of communication lead to many inappropriate behaviours such as crying, screaming, kicking, hitting others etc. We started him on PECS and, lo and behold, his inappropriate behaviours began to reduce until they were rare, he was communicating and eventually started using those very same words in speech!

While a system like PECS focuses on communicating for one’s basic needs or functional communication, there are many children who do begin to use the words they see in pictures. Every being wants and needs to communicate and, whether it is pictures or words, for the children for whom speech is unrealistic, it is their voice.

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