Nonverbal Autism: How to Help Kids with Autism Who are Nonverbal
Please note that I am not a speech therapist. I’m a former teacher, and mother of an adult with profound autism.
A child, teen, or adult with autism who is currently unable to speak may be described as having nonverbal autism. But what exactly does that mean and what can we do to help these individuals? Let’s take a look at some of the most common questions people ask about nonverbal autism.
What is nonverbal autism?
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects a person’s communication skills, social skills, and self-regulation. Nonverbal means not being able to speak. Although not actually a condition in and of itself, nonverbal autism is a subset of autism that includes children and adults who are not yet speaking.
According to research and advocacy organization Autism Speaks, roughly 40 percent of individuals with autism are considered nonverbal.
It’s important to remember that someone being nonverbal doesn’t mean that they don’t have anything to say. All it means is that they are not yet able to get words to come out of their mouth. For many individuals, not being able to communicate through speech is frustrating.
Some people who can say a few familiar words or short phrases are described as being minimally verbal.
What causes nonverbal autism?
Some individuals may have difficulty talking due to apraxia of speech (also called verbal apraxia) — a speech sound disorder where the brain has difficulty planning and sequencing the movements needed to correctly produce sound.
Low muscle tone and difficulties with motor planning are other factors that can make the physical movements required for speech difficult.
Although speech delays and difficulties are often more common in children with higher support needs, they are not necessarily caused by an intellectual disability. Some people with autism who are nonverbal or minimally verbal — for example, Tito Mukhopadhyay — have written books. Others are in employment.
At what age is a child considered nonverbal?
Children typically begin to speak using simple, single words when they are about one year old. They are expected to reach the milestone of using two-word combinations (for example, ‘red car’, or ‘big cup’) at about two years old. Children who have no speech by age two or three would therefore be considered nonverbal.
However, parents sometimes have their concerns about their child’s language delay dismissed and their child labeled as simply a ‘slow talker’. These kids might reach the age of four or five before they are officially acknowledged as being nonverbal.
Can nonverbal kids with autism learn to speak?
Yes! With speech and language therapy, and/or intensive language input at home from parents and other therapists, many nonverbal kids with autism will begin to develop some speech.
When my son was diagnosed with autism at just two years old, the pediatrician and speech therapist told me that he’d never be able to speak. As far as they were concerned, there was no point in even trying to teach him. I disagreed.
Although not super chatty, my son (now an adult) is more than able to use his voice to communicate his needs and wants. In fact, he’s rather bossy!
We didn’t have access to any early intervention services, ABA therapists, or autism specialists. My blog post on what strategies and activities I used to teach my son to speak can be found here.
How is nonverbal autism treated?
Services to help nonverbal children and adults with autism vary depending on where they live and what families can afford.
Building a child’s receptive vocabulary — their understanding of the meaning of words (for example, hearing the word 'apple' and knowing that it means an apple) — will help them to develop speech.
Many families opt to use Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to teach their children to speak.
Therapies such as The Son-Rise Program work on language skills by encouraging kids to engage and interact with a therapist and their parents.
Speech and language therapists can help kids and adults with learning vocabulary and with the mechanics of speech (how to produce speech sounds).
Occupational therapists can work on motor planning activities. This will help kids’ brains to plan the movements they need to sequence sounds to make words (for example c-a-t ⇒cat).
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) can be used in addition to teaching speech so that nonverbal children and adults have an alternative means of communication. Sign language can also be helpful to use alongside speech activities.
How do you communicate with a nonverbal autistic child?
First of all, never assume that a child with autism who is not yet speaking will not understand you. And even if they do not currently seem to have much understanding, always make the effort to communicate with them anyway, whether by using speech, sign language, AAC, or symbols.
Make sure your language is clear and unambiguous, but don’t talk baby talk.
Leave a long pause after you speak to allow the child or teen time to process what you are saying and to respond if they wish to. Be mindful of the fact that kids with autism are slower at processing information than their peers are. Autism expert Dr. Temple Grandin (who has autism herself) uses the analogy of the autistic brain being like a computer with a slower internet speed.
And if you need to repeat yourself, either use the same words or slightly simplify what you say. Don’t change the meaning of what you said or the person will need to start processing it all over again.
How can we help nonverbal children?
One of the best ways to help nonverbal children is to provide them with a language-rich environment. Continuing to talk and communicate with them even when there is no response will make it easier for them to develop speech.
Nonverbal autism activities
Parents, families, teachers, and therapists can use a wide range of activities to help develop the speech and language skills of a nonverbal child with autism. Ideas include:
Singing songs
Playing simple games
Labeling items around the house or classroom
Using flashcards such as my noun picture cards or Animal flashcards
Reading books
Physical play such as jumping on a trampoline or throwing a ball
Playing with puppets
Dramatic play/playing pretend
Best toys for nonverbal autism
Despite what some adverts might try to tell you, there is no single game or set of toys that will magically teach a nonverbal child with autism to speak. However, with a little creativity, almost anything that your child likes to play with can be used to develop verbal communication skills. The best toys and activities are always the ones that the child is most interested in and will have the most fun with.
It’s important to note that an individual not yet being able to speak doesn’t necessarily mean that they are young for their age in other ways. Try to avoid buying toys that the child thinks are too babyish for them.
Resources to check out
I hope you’ve found this helpful!
Kirsten