All Communication is Valid: Why it Might be Hard for an Autistic Child to Speak

04/18/23 • 17 min

Exploring Neurodiversity with Adina Levy from Play. Learn. Chat

We're tucking in to this idea that All Communication is Valid. Busting the ableist bias that speech is the best way of communicating. In this episode I share some of the reasons why it might be hard for an autistic child (or anyone!) to speak. More non-speech might be needed when...

Speech skills are hard for someone (physical/motor skills or motor planning)
Language skills are hard
The content of language in that situation is complex
Emotions are heightened
They're experiencing sensory dysregulation
The situation is new
The situation is less preferred
Other people around aren’t familiar, connected or trusted
Whenever someone wants!

Speech isn't the end goal... Communication & relationship is! Learn more with me about this topic and many others! Professionals: My next Neurodiversity Affirming Practice 2-hour online Intro Workshop is Live + recorded - live on Wednesday 26th April and recording available whenever you are, for 12 months - https://playlearnchat.com/neurodiversity-affirming-practice-intro-workshop/ Parents: Join my on-demand parent course Connect & Grow: https://playlearnchat.com/connect-and-grow-course/

Podcast Link: https://pod.link/1625478932

Website: www.playlearnchat.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/play.learn.chat

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/play.learn.chat

Speech skills are hard for someone (physical/motor skills or motor planning)
Language skills are hard
The content of language in that situation is complex
Emotions are heightened
They're experiencing sensory dysregulation
The situation is new
The situation is less preferred
Other people around aren’t familiar, connected or trusted
Whenever someone wants!

Podcast Link: https://pod.link/1625478932

Website: www.playlearnchat.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/play.learn.chat

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/play.learn.chat

Previous Episode

How to be an Excellent Ally this Autism Acceptance Month

Autism Acceptance Month is here! This April, how can YOU be a fantastic, genuine and helpful ally to the autistic community? Here's how you can be an excellent ally this Autism Acceptance Month:⁠ 1️⃣ Listen to diverse autistic people⁠ 2️⃣ Share the work of autistic creators⁠⁠ 3️⃣ Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. Challenge your existing beliefs & biases 4️⃣ Call out ableist, negative, incorrect views of autism⁠ 5️⃣ Celebrate autistic joy!⁠ 6️⃣ If you mess up, own it. Help others learn.⁠ 7️⃣ Don't leave your advocacy in April. Make it a life-time thing.⁠ Links 👩‍💻 Therapists & Allied Health Professionals: 26th April is the next LIVE round of my Neurodiversity Affirming Practice Introductory 2-hour workshop. Learn more and join me here: https://playlearnchat.com/neurodiversity-affirming-practice-intro-workshop/ Learn more about the all supports I offer for professionals: www.playlearnchat.com/professionals My resource & links list - always being updated! https://www.playlearnchat.com/resources Podcast Link: https://pod.link/1625478932 Website: www.playlearnchat.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/play.learn.chat Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/play.learn.chat

Next Episode

Don't Teach Kids through Trauma - Teach through Connection

Picture this. You take your child to swimming class and it's a pretty unfamiliar environment. They haven't met the teacher before. It's noisy. It's all new and pretty overwhelming. It might also be quite enticing and interesting, but there's also a huge dose of new and unknown in there. The time comes around for your child's lesson to start. And you take your child over to the edge of the pool. The teacher's standing in the pool, looking up. Checking the clock and saying, "just pass it to me. She'll be okay." Your child does not agree. Your child is clinging to you. Crying screaming and quite simply not feeling ready to do what the teacher is asking. We all learn best through connection, relationship building when we're in a calm headspace. When we're intrigued, when we're feeling supported. Put simply, nobody learns well when they're in a state of trauma. Today we discuss why teaching kids through trauma isn't the way, and ideas for how teaching through connection can look. Learn more with me about this topic and many others! For Allied Health Professionals:

Join me for the 1-day Neurodiversity Affirming Practice Workshop in Sydney – Tuesday 11th July 2023 – https://playlearnchat.com/neurodiversity-affirming-practice-1-day-sydney-workshop/
Join me for the 1-day Neurodiversity Affirming Practice Workshop Online – Thursday 6th July 2023 – https://playlearnchat.com/neurodiversity-affirming-practice-1-day-online-workshop/

If those live dates don’t suit you, that’s OK! Loads of Neurodiversity Affirming Practice professional development is available for a discount when you bundle it up into the Learning Hub access – https://courses.playlearnchat.com/offers/S8HwcApW/checkout And find your own pathway for Neurodiversity Affirming Practice professional learning here: https://playlearnchat.com/professionals/ For parents of preschool-aged autistic or possibly autistic children: Join my on-demand parent course Connect & Grow: https://playlearnchat.com/connect-and-grow-course/ Get 20% off for fabulous podcast listeners by using the code POD20