Story
Most infants and children follow a natural trajectory of development. Milestones have been identified as a child acquires skills along this path. It is a trajectory that leads to learning readiness and successful school outcomes. It includes the social competence needed to navigate uncertain and unpredictable exchanges with peers and community members. It is a shared set of customs that are agreed upon as acceptable within a culture. Encompassing an essential skill set, it makes lifelong independence and survival possible.
A person with autism may not be inclined to follow this same trajectory. The strength and variety of autistic features unique to that person may result in a developmental path that veers in a different and unique direction from the start. As development continues the path may become increasingly different and in some cases limiting.
Perhaps the most helpful intervention strategy would be to identify missing and delayed milestones and attempt to replicate the natural learning experiences that might lead to acquisition. Autism friendly lessons and activities could be tailored to accommodate a person's unique learning style and sensory needs. The following are my observations and ideas for possible interventions. They are offered here for discussion only and not as recommendations for treatment.
Framework: Dialogue
Dialogue is the face-to-face message exchange that occurs when two or more people wish to communicate. It occurs in real-time and needs to be reciprocal for successful communication. It can vary according to context and cultural constraints. Social goals, communicative competence, and perspectives of the participants shape the conversation. It is the vehicle for social interaction and information exchange and is captured in audio, text, and video formats.
Reciprocity, Context/Culture, Participants, and Social Interaction/Information Exchange:
- When engaging in face-to-face dialogue the exchange of messages alternates rapidly between participants. If a question or statement is issued by one person then an answer or comment is expected from the other. Turn-taking etiquette is followed and requires careful, consistent visual and auditory focus. Topic maintenance and change must follow the content of the dialogue and goals of the conversation partners.
- The context of the topic of conversation constrains the participants' messages. Knowing current background information is critical to making pertinent accurate contributions. The surrounding location in which the conversation is occurring may affect audience sensitivity. Cultural differences must be taken into account to craft messages that are acceptable and understood.
- A participant will initiate and guide the course of a conversation to achieve specific social goals. The purpose may be to reinforce social bonds, relieve tension, or conceal discomfort. Goals can be antisocial with the purpose of insult or injury.
- The communication skills of a participant will determine how successful an exchange will be. Understanding a partner's verbal and nonverbal message and crafting a clear and effective response requires adequate syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic language and intelligible speech.
- Participants in a conversation must assess the perspectives of the listener or audience. The prior knowledge and experience of these persons and their emotions/feelings and motives must be taken into account when formulating a question, response, statement, or comment.
- Dialogue is the manner in which we interact with others and exchange information. This can be accomplished with speech either face-to-face or by phone. Conversations must follow conventions of language and include acceptable topics. Texting, email and electronic chat are available for written messaging. In this type of exchange timing is altered and nonverbal aspects of communication are removed. Dialogue of our own and others can be viewed digitally in personal video, T.V., and movies. Text of dialogue can be found in printed materials. Understanding this type of exchange in novels requires some degree of competence in oral dialogue.
Strategies for Activities, Lessons, and Materials:
- Children can have frequent opportunity to observe the dialogue of adults and other children.
- Adults can engage children frequently in friendly, positive dialogue.
- Children can be given frequent opportunity for unstructured play with peers where conversation can occur.
- Children can be given frequent opportunity for dramatic play to act out scenes and dialogue from favorite fairytales and stories.
- Props and costumes can be provided that might encourage initiation of dramatic play.
- Older children can participate in structured roleplay.
- Older children and young adults can be given guidance concerning texting, email, and electronic chat.
A person with autism or other developmental delay might:
- be reticent in participating in a social interaction involving conversation.
- participate in a conversation if it is initiated by a family member, teacher, or friend.
- prefer to remain in the role of the observer or respondent in an exchange.
- avoid situations where conversation is required.
- have difficulty participating in dramatic play that requires recall of stories and the ability to pretend.
- have difficulty understanding or using statements in dialogue.
- have difficulty understanding or using pronouns in dialogue.
- have difficulty understanding or naming feelings/emotions in dialogue.
- have difficulty understanding or answering wh- questions in dialogue.
- use poor nonverbal communication in conversation.
- have difficulty processing a partner's message and then generating a response in a timely manner.
- not manage turn-taking properly by interrupting, speaking to long, or not responding.
- struggle to determine and monitor the perspectives of others in conversation.
- struggle to maintain or shift topic in conversation.
- persist in dwelling on a preferred topic in conversation.
- initiate topics that are taboo or culturally insensitive.
- struggle to understand rapid exchanges in animated cartoons, T.V., and movies.
- struggle to comprehend written dialogue in story books, cartoons, and novels.
- enjoy the lowered time constraints and lack of video in texting, email, and electronic chat.
- struggle to comprehend and follow guidance concerning texting, email, and electronic chat.
- be victimized in various forms of social media.
- be preoccupied with sensory sensitivities.
- lack assumed skill levels in related areas.
User Friendly Strategies for Activities, Lessons, and Materials:
- Review a story prior to dramatic play with story props.
- Read dialogue in structured roleplay situations.
- An assistant can be used to prompt the child in conversation.
- Peers can be chosen that are accommodating and understanding of the help that might be needed.
- Practice use of good nonverbal communication in conversation.
- Written fill-in-the blank response cards for frequently asked questions can be used in structured situations.
- Question prompts, surveys, and food serving opportunities can be used to encourage initiation of conversation.
- Develop sets of questions/responses/comments and follow-up messages on popular topics for use in practice interactions with peers.
- Review safety rules for social media and restrict use of devices if risky behavior persists.
- Observe and detect sensory sensitivities to materials and environment and alter as necessary.
- Observe carefully to detect competencies in order to know what they don't know.
