COMMUNICATION

Communication — verbal / nonverbal split

Nonverbal (facial expressions, gestures, posture, eye contact, etc.) is a big part of how people receive your message.

  • Mind your eye contact and posture
  • Match your tone and body language to the message
  • Keep the verbal part clear and structured

 

Alternative or Augmented Communication (AAC)

CHOOSING BETWEEN ALTERNATIVE AND AUGMENTATIVE COMMUNICATION (AAC)

Two starting points:

  • Nonverbal child → Alternative communication: replaces speech using sign language (e.g., LSF), pictograms, pictures, and photos.
  • Verbal child → Augmentative communication: supports understanding and expression, reduces frustration; can use sign language, pictograms, pictures, and photos.

Bridge: the alternative route can shift to the augmentative route as progress is made.

At Centre des Noyers: preferred tools are sign language (LSF) and PECS.

 

Communication: Choosing the Right AAC Tool

Starting point for AAC support: the assessment.

It looks at three areas:

  • the person’s abilities (sensory skills, understanding of objects and context),
  • their top needs (being able to ask, understand the environment, open up to the world),
  • the support network’s capacity (time, resources, preparing materials, training—e.g., LSF—and everyday commitment).

Why? To set shared priorities and choose realistic, well-suited tools/strategies with the people around the person, to improve daily communication.

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