Functional Communication Training For Parents Simplified

By Douglas Myers


Children use the basic levels of communication. Their gestures, words and emotions are raw. They communicate about what they feel or want in their unique ways. Some of these gestures and messages are difficult to understand. This is why functional communication training for parents is so important. It helps the adults to decipher what children under their care want in order to provide.

Functional communication training is very important for all parents because it helps in strengthening the bond between them. However, it remains crucially important for parents or guardians of children with special needs like autism and ADHD. Such children try to voice their needs but cannot be easily understood. This is why special attention is required.

Training of different ways to communicate goes both ways. It is not only the guardians or parents that should learn. Children also have the capability to learn when their potential is enhanced through special attention and a professional approach. The guardian or parent teaching a child how to communicate should exercise a lot of patience. These sessions are aimed at providing an alternative channel for the affected child to communicate. It eliminates the frustration that arises when communication is broken.

Children with challenges communicating should be handled by a speech therapist. It is the parent or guardian who alerts the pathologist. The pathologist begins by evaluating the capability of the child since each one is unique. Difficulties between children vary and their solutions will be equally diverse. The pathologist identifies the unique challenges facing your child and proposes specific solutions.

Naturally, human beings communicate using words, gestures and body language. For children with delayed milestones, the challenge is on one of these avenues. The pathologist will identify the next best alternative that will still deliver desired results. At the initial stages, the focus is to get communication going. Pathologists identify a hierarchical order in which means of communicating are arranged.

Children begin communicating by using gestures and body language. They will point at the objects they want or move the body in that direction. In other cases, they cry or are agitated while pointing in the direction. Where they do not want something, they will pull the body in the opposite direction and resist any attempt to be associated with the object. Other methods that can be used to communicate include picture exchange, sign language and adoption of customized voice output devices.

The trainer, in most cases the guardian or parent needs to identify easy new words to teach to the child. Parents and guardians are preferred because they have the confidence and trust of the children beyond spending more time with them. They should be taught through a combination of channels like gestures and sounds. Beyond that, present an opportunity or temptation for the kid to use the new word or gesture. This serves are a practical learning moment.

It takes a great deal of patience for children to begin to communicate fluently. Try different words and scenarios to avoid frustrating your child. Each child has a unique ability to understand. Be alert to such uniqueness and find a way of going round it to achieve desired results. By trying severally, you will eventually communicate at one level or the other.




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