Communication Supports

Remember some of our students are at the most concrete level of language! It is important to match visuals to cognitive/learning style. For a student who uses gestures and pointing to the actual items they want, you could begin to introduce real-life pictures of those items, and pair the picture for the object when they request. Remember to allow and respect ALL communication. All forms of communication are valid!

Create visual options of items the student may be wanting or asking for specific to the activity or event. This menu was created for a nonspeaking student who experiences anxiety in social interactions. Providing the options the team already knows he likes provides access to ordering food in the community, without the added stress of making a choice on the spot. 

Example of a core communication board: feel free to adapt and change as needed! Use as an example to replicate for your individual students' needs. A note on "please" and "thank you": these terms are really not necessary and can add an extra step that is not usually a meaningful one for our students. They are really just neurotypical manners we like to hear, but are not necessary to teach to our students. :)