speech therapy activities for nonverbal students

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Special Learning House

Autism resources for exceptional families. Increase communication, learning and fun at home.

January 12, 2021

21+ Activities for a Nonverbal Autistic Child

Finding activities for a nonverbal autistic child can be tricky. This collection of autism activities will help you build communication skills, fine motor skills, sensory play skills and more. Make sure you check out my Autism Workbooks as well if you are looking for printable autism activities.

Table of Contents

What does it mean to be “nonverbal”?

When we refer to a child as “nonverbal” it means that he or she is not using verbal language to communicate. It is really important to remember that this doesn’t mean that the child is not communicating. A lot of our communication is nonverbal.

21 Activities for a Nonverbal Autistic Child

Autism workbooks.

My collection of Autism Workbooks contain over 50 autism activities that I personally designed based on my 18+ year of experience working with children on the autism spectrum as a therapist and autism center owner. The activities in the Autism Workbooks are perfect for building communication, fine motor, sensory play and life skills – all while decreasing difficult behaviors that are getting in the way of learning. (The workbook bundle includes some fabulous social story bonuses as well!)

Communication Building Activities

Sign language for autism.

Adapted sign language can be an amazing tool for teaching a nonverbal autistic child to communicate.

Looking for more autism activities for non verbal learners? Get your copy of the Autism Activities Workbook Bundle here and never run out of activity ideas!

Montessori Learning Trays

I love using Montessori Learning Trays to teach new skills. They are a fun and engaging way to build new skills.

Experience Books

Experience are a great tool for processing different types of activity. Use them to build expressive and receptive language skills.

Related : How to Teach an Autistic Child to Speak

Sensory Activities

Sensory boxes.

I love sensory boxes and so do my little learners! May yours do too?

Some of my favorites?

• Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin
• Fall Sensory Bins
• Spring Sensory Box
• Halloween Sensory Box

Light Table Activities

If you don’t have a sensory table yet, I highly suggest you get one (or make your own ). You can use a sensory table to work on teaching new vocabulary words, building receptive language skills, taking turns and more. They are so much fun!

Sensory Break Cards

Incorporating sensory breaks into the day with a nonverbal child, can be essential. Keep frustration at bay while also increasing movement, with fun sensory breaks throughout the day.

Quiet Books

Quiet Books are a fabulous tool for learning new skills and incorporating simple and calm play activities into your child to students’ day.

Zoo Playdough Mats

Use the zoo play dough mats to work on the names of the animals, process sensory experiences (by manipulating play dough) and more.

Fine Motor Activities

Autism worksheets.

This collection of worksheets will help you teach numbers, writing and more.

Pail and Clothespins Autism Activity

This simple activity calls for a simple pail and clothespins to build fine motor skills in a simple way.

Easy Origami for Kids

Folding origami can be a great way to build your little learner’s fine motor strength and precision.

Pointing Book

Use a DIY pointing book to teach your child or students to point, while also building fine motor skills simultaneously.

Cotton Balls and Clothespins Autism Activity

Use this simple cotton balls and clothespins activity to build your child or students’ fine motor skills.

Social Skills Activities

Social skills to teach kids with autism.

Use this list of 62 social skills to teach to build your little one’s social skills, step by step.

Free Printables

Fish bowl play dough mat.

This is one of the most popular printable activities on this blog! Teach your child to make a fish out of play dough and say “fish”, “fish bowl” and “play dough”.

Winter Play Dough Mats

This collection of free printable Winter play dough mats is perfect for an autistic learner who is nonverbal.

Dinosaur Play Dough Mats

Dinosaur play dough mats are a fun and easy way to build new skills as well. Create an entire dinosaur unit or add these free printables to your existing activity plan.

Fish Matching Game

Matching skills are an important prerequisite to learning verbal communication. Add some simple matching activities into your home, classroom or therapy programs with my fish matching games.

For more printable autism activities, check out my Autism Activities Workbook Bundle!

Indoor Autism Activities

My favorite indoor autism activities to get you through a long Winter!

Outdoor Activities for Autistic Child

Similarly, these are my favorite outdoor autism activities!

• Books About Colors
• Best Board Books
• Autism Books

Movement Activities

Yoga videos for kids.

Easy kids yoga is a great activity for incorporating movement activities into your every day schedule with an autism child.

More Autism Learning Resources

• The Successful Interaction with a Child with Autism Course – learn to better understand your autistic child or students with this complete course.
• Autism Activities Workbook Bundle – build communication skills, fine motor skills, sensory play skills and daily living skills, while helping your child or students to successfully manage any difficult behaviors, with these fun, educational, printable activities.
• Sensory Communication Workbook – Build communication skills with simple sensory activities.
• How to Make a Communication Binder Guide & Workbook – Learn how to create a Communication Binder for your child or student with autism using real photos. Follow my expert guide to learn how to use it to increase communication skills.
• Autism Adapted Books Bundle – a collection of 10 adapted books that will help you build communication skills while teaching more than 120 vocabulary words.
• Zoo Animals Play Dough Mats Bundle – use these printable play dough mat to work on the names of the animals, build language skills, and increase fine motor strength and precision in a fun, sensory way!

Activities for a Nonverbal Autistic Child

Choose one or two of the autism activities for nonverbal learners to try or use them all!

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15 Therapy Activities to Engage Non-Verbal Children

Working with non-verbal children can present a unique set of challenges. It is not uncommon for Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Special Education Teachers to encounter non-verbal children in their therapy jobs. Therapists’ resources are often limited in the variety of activities to engage this audience. However, speech therapists can maximize learning moments for their students by utilizing a variety of effective tools and resources. Luckily, there are several activities you can incorporate into your therapy job – here are 15 of the best!

1. Routines Boards – Use visual boards with single-step actions to help clients learn common routines. You can create a board for brushing teeth which includes Get Toothbrush, Wet Toothbrush under Faucet, Apply a Small Amount of Toothpaste, Brush Front of Teeth, Brush Back of Teeth, Brush Sides of Teeth, etc. Include as much or as little detail as the individual client needs to complete the task. Other visual boards might include Packing Backpack for School, Doing Homework, and Cleaning Up After Dinner.

2. Red Light, Green Light – Non-verbal children often struggle with basic commands. Use games like Red Light, Green Light to encourage them to follow directions in a way that can be carried over to the home environment. Use rewards for positive responses. To play Red Light, Green Light, line the children up in a straight line. Explain to them that, when you say Green Light, the children move forward. When you say Red Light, the children must stop. The terms “Red Light” and “Green Light” can then be used for other actions as one of their basic commands.

3. Practice Sharing – Play is an important activity for non-verbal children, and school-based therapists can facilitate this activity by practicing sharing. While the child is engaged in play with an object such as a toy car or tea set, occasionally take the toy from them. Then help the child learn ways to communicate that they want the toy back. This may be through the use of sign language or body language.

4. Daily Journals – Even non-verbal children have something to say, and journaling can be a valuable tool that school-based therapists can incorporate. Journals can be written or provide pictures and illustrations for children who cannot write. Use writing prompts to stimulate ideas. Prompts might include Favorite Foods, I Feel ____ When ____, My Best Friend Is ____.

5. See and Say – For younger children, animal sounds are a great way to introduce verbal communication. Use toys such as “See and Say” to help children identify animals by their sounds and begin to verbalize those sounds. Simple animal toys can also be used to facilitate this activity.

6. Modeling – The students take turns modeling the emotion shown in the picture using pictures of emotions such as sad, happy, angry, and hurt. This helps non-verbal children recognize emotions in others and learn how to display those emotions so that children can be recognized as expressing them .

7. Hide and Seek – Using a toy or other reward, a therapist’s job is to hide an object in the room and encourage the student to use functional communication to locate the toy or reward. Sign Language, PECs, or body language can be used to seek answers to the object’s location.

8. Sensory Bags – Sensory bags are a great way to help non-verbal children develop coordination, learn concentration, and use multiple senses while exploring their environment. Sensory bags can be made with various materials, including rice, flour and water, and even hair gel. Create bags that allow children to draw or search for treasures.

9. Playing House – Role play games can be an excellent way to help younger students learn words for common household items or social interactions. Other ideas for role play include restaurant, school, or store.

10. The Name Game – Non-verbal children often struggle with recognition of their own names. Speech and language therapists can play the Name Game to help them identify with the sound of their own name and respond appropriately. Play this game in small groups of 3 or 4 students calling out names at random, including the names of the students present. Whenever a student’s name is used, have the other students point to that student and have the student whose name was called, stand up. When the student stands, provide a small reward such as a sticker or a small piece of candy.

11. Textures and Feelings – While non-verbal children struggle to communicate with the spoken word, they do not lack a sense of touch, and certainly have a full range of emotions. School-based therapists can put together a box of materials with different textures to help identify emotions that “feel” like the textures they are touching. Sand paper might be frustration, while cotton balls might be love. Use pictures or word queue cards with emotions.

12. Build a Sandwich –  Therapists can help non-verbal children learn steps and details through the use of pretend assembly play. Using materials to create the ingredients for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or S’mores is a fun way to teach students the importance of steps and how to navigate directions.

13. Face Puzzles – Use Face Puzzles to allow children to show what emotions they may be feeling or help them identify what emotions would be appropriate in various settings.

14. Experience Books – When a child goes on a field trip or has a unique experience, that activity can be utilized as an ongoing teaching tool through the use of Experience Books. During the field trip, take lots of pictures of the things the child sees and does. Then print those pictures out with short sentences that help to recall and describe the experience. Picture books can help children identify objects and emotions they may not experience daily but can recall and are familiar with.

15. Same and Different – Sorting, matching, and classifying are the beginning steps to communication, whether verbal or non-verbal. Playing activities like Same and Different allows the therapist to integrate these skills with more advanced levels of communication. Same and Different activities come in the form of worksheets, card sets, and even iPad apps.

In addition to these, there are a variety of websites that offer online speech therapy activities, including Owlie Boo , Mommy Speech Therapy , and Tiny Tap .

Whether teaching children the beginning stages of becoming verbal or working with students who cannot become verbal, we hope these activities help to expand your list of tools and make your therapy job easier!

Get apps and activities delivered to your inbox monthly:  https://txsource.com/newsletter

Looking for a therapy job? Check out our current openings: https://jobs.txsource.com

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20 Super Fun Games for a Nonverbal Autistic Child

Using games with a nonverbal autistic child is a great way to support them to thrive. Pairing fun and interest with learning is an effective teaching strategy. Additionally, non-speaking children benefit when parents and support people encourage connection and emotional safety over compliance. One way to do this is through games and other fun activities. So, today, let’s dive into different activities and games for the nonverbal autistic child in your life.

Table of Contents

20 activities and games for a nonverbal autistic child, 3. build puzzles, 4. build with blocks, 6. hide and seek, 7. physical play and motor skills, 10. trampoline time, 11. painting, 13. pretend play, 14. play house, 15. sorting games, 16. board games for nonverbal autistic child, 18. educational apps, 19. minecraft, 20. drawing, recap: games for nonverbal autistic child, nonspeaking not nonverbal.

While many people say “nonverbal children” when referring to kids who don’t speak, this is not accurate.

The term nonverbal indicates a child is without language. However, most young children who don’t speak do understand and can use language. (This is why we must give them the tools to do so such as AAC Alternative and Augmentative Communication.)

By understanding that communication skills are multi-faceted, we can better support and connect with young children who don’t speak, have communication disorders, or live with selective mutism . Let’s presume competence.

The following list contains 20 fun activities and games for nonverbal children.

A game of Spot It is easy to play with a child who doesn’t speak aloud. Simply take turns pointing to the matching picture on the Spot It cards.

Encourage receptive language by repeating a carrier phrase for each play of the cards. For example, pointing to a red bird on a Spot-It card.

There is a red bird.

Expand language while creating connection and safety in your relationship. Creating these emotionally calm moments with your autistic child helps you both develop stronger pathways of regulation between the two of you. Your autistic child must feel safe with you if they’re ever going to be able to take direction from you.

Why Safety is Essential for the Brain

For more on the brain and its impact on emotional regulation, learning, and behavior, watch this quick video tutorial.

2. Matching Games

Using card games, especially those designed as matching games are a fun way to increase any number of different skills.

For example, you can work on Math Skills (Using Shapes as an Example).

• Use flashcards of a number of different shapes.
• Lay them face down on the table.
• Take turns turning over a card and finding its matching shape.

Again, use a carrier phrase to reinforce receptive language skills.

• “I turned over a _____. Now I turn over a _______. I got a match/I didn’t get a match.”

Use any area of your child’s interest to encourage learning in any area. For example, if your student likes Peppa Pig, use a Peppa Pig memory game.

Losing is Hard for Neurodivergent Kids for a Reason

Autistic and other neurodivergent children live in a world designed in opposition to who they are.

This means that they’re constantly set up for failure which can make “losing” even harder for them.

Provide them with an internal narrative that tells them that losing is okay and to be expected. Do this by modeling an emotionally affirming internal dialogue.

For example, if you don’t turn over a matching pair, say something like,

• “Oh well. I didn’t get a match this time. I’ll try again next time.”

And then repeat, repeat, repeat.

Autistic kids, like neurotypical children, often love putting together puzzles . In fact, in our homeschool, we use puzzles for just about all of my son’s special interests.

Using puzzles is a great way to reinforce any areas of learning while working on visual-spatial skills, problem-solving skills, team-building, and turn-taking. (Hint… do the puzzle with your child if they’d like your company.)

Gestalt Language Processing: Natural Language Acquisition and Your Child

Building with blocks is a great way to increase hand-eye coordination in kids who struggle with coordination. Use blocks to model verbal language specific to:

• prepositions (in, on, above, below, etc.)
• colors, and more.

For example, “I put a block on top of the tower.” These solar-system-themed blocks are stunning and great for visual learners.

30+ Best Gifts for Kids Who Love Space & Astronomy (2023)

Any activity that involves building and creating is a winner for so many reasons. Legos are a perfect side-by-side activity for non-speaking and neurotypical children. Build up fine motor and problem-solving skills, visual-spatial awareness, and more.

Hide and seek is such a fun way to have fun without the need to speak using oral language. From the first time we play peek-a-boo with a child, we engage in this silly game of hide and seek.

One of the best things about the hide-and-seek game is the laughter and relationship building through connection. There’s nothing more important than to be sought after and found. Just like neurotypical children, nonspeaking children enjoy the social interaction of hide-and-seek.

Speech Delay and Autism: What’s the Connection?

Physical play is essential to any child’s development . From infancy, movement matters. Tummy time alone supports core and neck strength that are foundational to all later motor skill development .

Surprisingly, tummy time doesn’t just set the stage for sitting, crawling, and walking. It is critical to later develop fine motor skills such as speaking and handwriting. Additionally, it’s well-known that to get an autism diagnosis, a child will struggle with some areas of difficulty with motor skill development .

Some autistic kids may appear clumsy, have a heavy gait, or have challenges throwing a ball, for example.

Fortunately, a private occupational therapist can support your non-speaking autistic child in all things motor skills. However, you don’t have to rely on one hour a week of occupational therapy. There are so many fun activities that can help autistic kids develop their motor skills through play.

Motor Skills in Autism: Why Your Child’s Cerebellum Matters

8. Obstacle Courses

Set up an obstacle course in your living room. Here are some ideas for an obstacle course.

• Cushions to jump over,
• Chairs to climb over,
• Aline of painter’s tape to balance across as a “tight rope”,
• Lay a hula hoop on the ground and have your child jump inside 10 times
• Have them return by crawling under the kitchen table
• Slide across the room using a tummy scooter
• Then spin them in the opposite direction 5 times ( Vestibular Input )
• Jump into a crash pad at the end

Whether your child or student has higher support needs or not, this type of activity is so much fun. As always, be sure to modify it to meet your child’s needs.

Model and Make It Fun

Model using the obstacle course, offer visual cues with large hand gestures, and narrate what you’re doing.

Remember, nonverbal autistic people very often understand ( receptive language) well. Give your child every opportunity to hear spoken language while they’re happily engaged.

When you use language in a playful and fun activity, kids are better able to make sense of new concepts and directions. Be sure to engage your child in the process and participate with them. Make it fun and low-pressure. Read your child’s nonverbal cues and follow their lead.

9. Sensory Play

Most young kids (and many adults) love to make Play-Doh creations. Play-Doh, clay , and kinetic sand are excellent sensory tools to support your child’s fine motor skills .

At the same time, it provides needed sensory information to the brain. Specifically, sensory activities like these provide proprioceptive input to the small joints and muscles of the fingers, wrists, and arms.

Further, nonverbal kids (nonspeaking) can use play-doh to learn:

• (For example, check out this ocean playdough )

Proprioception is Calming

Proprioceptive sensory input is calming to the brain and body by releasing calming neurotransmitters like serotonin. Allowing your child to play freely with Play-Doh or clay (without directing them) is a great activity to support emotional regulation skills for later use.

A wonderful benefit of sensory experiences such as this is that most children enjoy sensory play. That means sensory play is a great way to teach non-autistic children to learn Autistic social skills and how to be inclusive in social situations.

Try the best no-cook playdough recipe you can make with (or without!) a stand mixer!

31 Sensory Toys for Autism and Why They Work (2024)

Trampolines are versatile tools to provide autistic children of all ages with physical exercise opportunities that support sensory integration. Jumping on a trampoline provides both proprioceptive and vestibular sensory input to help calm the brain and body while at the same time increasing attention span .

The more autistic children jump, the more they develop greater spatial awareness of where their body is in space. Further, the benefits of jumping on a trampoline are numerous.

Benefits of Jumping on a Trampoline

• cardiovascular health,
• increased overall muscle tone,
• core strength
• elevated mood,
• increased attention span

Learning to Read While on a Trampoline

If you’re homeschooling your non-verbal autistic child, try this:

• This supports your child in learning to read.
• While your child is jumping, sing nursery rhymes
• Or read them their favorite rhyming storybooks

Nonverbal autism does not mean nonliterate. As long as teachers and parents allow kids to learn based on who they are, autistic kids can thrive as readers.

Autism Trampoline Therapy: Is It a Real Thing?

Painting is a great way to allow any child to express themselves without the spoken word. Non-verbal children, like many minority groups of people, have a unique perspective to share with the world.

Spread the buffet of different types of creativity tools for your child and them an opportunity to express themselves through art.

When working with nonverbal individuals who are older, consider more sophisticated tools such as acrylic paints. For younger children, be sure to choose some form of washable paint.

Kick up the sensory profile of the art by allowing your sensory-seeking student to dip their hands in finger paint and use those handprints to create how they see fit. Be sure to have smocks, baby wipes, and a large trashcan nearby for easy clean-up.

12. Make a Sensory Bottle

Autistic children, like non-autistic children, all have different sensory needs. Again, living in a world designed in opposition to how you’ve been designed is incredibly stressful for autistic and other neurodivergent children.

They’re often pressured to act like non-autistic people when they are wired to think and process the world differently. As such, autistic children, teens, and adults often suffer from severe mental health distress.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our non-speaking autistic children is as many emotional regulation tools as possible from as young an age as possible. If your autistic child enjoys calming visual input, try creating a sensory jar or bottle with them.

Directions for Basic Sensory Jar

Here’s a simple sensory bottle to get you and your nonverbal autistic student started.

• Clear empty plastic water bottle
• Vegetable oil
• Food Coloring
• Sensory beads

Instructions:

• Pour water into the bottle to the halfway point
• Then fill the rest of the bottle with vegetable oil
• Add a few drops of your child’s favorite color
• Have them put the top on and flip it over
• Add more colors to their preference
• Shake and watch it settle

For more emotional regulation activities for kids , check out 47 ideas here.

47 Emotional Regulation Activities for Kids Every Mom Needs!

Use pretend for everything, but especially for language development. Despite rumors to the contrary, autistic kids, whether non-speaking or not, are just as capable of pretend play as neurotypical kids.

In fact, some of the most imaginative people out there are autistic (think Hollywood, the theater, writers, etc). Participate in activities led by your nonverbal students.

Don’t try to control everything. Instead, let your kids take the lead and allow them to tell you who they are.

Parents, speech therapists, and teachers (even those with special education degrees) often make learning hard on students when we try to control everything. Discovery-based play is powerful.

Related Post:

Homeschooling ADHD: 29 Tips to Save Your Sanity!

Use small toys and dolls (that your student chooses) in imaginative play. Use a kind and gentle voice modeling compassion and acceptance among the dolls.

Because people without autism struggle to understand autistic social rules, as a parent or educator it’s important to learn autistic social skills. For example, autistic social skills do not rely on eye contact.

Follow the child’s cues and do not try to control the situation. You’ll learn much about your nonspeaking autistic student when you slow down and “listen” to their forms of communication.

Sorting games are a great way to support nonverbal autistic children in developing organizational skills. When I say organization skills, I’m not referring to organizing Marie Kondo style.

Specifically, sorting and organizing toys by shapes, colors, and functions supports growing executive function skills . Additionally, it lays the foundation for later problem-solving skills that will be necessary for life.

As an added bonus, positional play is related to visual-spatial development. Further, autistic kids, are often subjected to stressful situations creating lots of anxiety. Sorting games can be a calming and regulating activity for many neurodivergent children (and adults).

Anger Management for Autistic Children (Not ABA)

Every speech therapist knows the value of incorporating board games into their speech therapy time. Using a child’s favorite board game is a great option to support fun, play, relationship, language, and cognitive skills.

Of course, every child will have their own needs, but here are a few board game ideas.

• fine motor skills
• color identification
• turn-taking
• “I picked up the blue acorn.”
• “You chose the green acorn.”
• Gross motor skill development
• Following directions
• Auditory processing
• Adding animal noises in a fun way can lead to vocalization (if they so choose)
• Problem-solving
• Overall brain-building skills
• Depending on your child’s age and ability, you can choose challenges based on difficulty level.

Check out this list of 59 Best Educational Board Games for Kids. (I discovered many of these through Speech Therapist friends and colleagues.)

59 Best Fun & Educational Board Games for Kids 2024

17. Sign Language Games

American Sign Language is a wonderful language for anyone, but especially non-speaking autistic students. In fact, where many parents and educators mistakenly believe teaching a child sign language will slow their language development, the opposite is true.

Learn some basic signs with your child and if they enjoy it, make learning sign language a fun game. Additionally, tools that use signs and picture cards can further support the acquisition of language.

As always, follow your student’s lead and make signing fun and engaging. Alternative ways to teach this amazing communication skill are by using music and movement to reinforce learning.

Sign Language Video Through Music & Movement

Fortunately, there are many interactive educational apps available for kids of all different needs. Some of the best apps for my 9-year-old son have been those recommended by his past speech-language pathologist. Some recommended apps include:

• CodeSpark Academy Ki d s
• FlipAClip for animation

Another recommended AAC app for those with unique communication styles including selective mutism is Type . (I can see this being an excellent tool to support teaching reading .)

Is Lining Up Toys Autism Related?  Does it Matter?

Minecraft is a great video game to support your child’s problem-solving, visual-spatial awareness, as well as language, and reading skills .

Drawing is an excellent activity for autistic children for so many reasons. The benefits include:

• Fine motor skill development
• Emotional and self-regulation support
• Inexpensive

If your child needs extra drawing ideas, check out these guided winter drawing prompts .

The term nonverbal indicates a child is without language. However, most young children who don’t speak do understand and can use language. (This is why we must give them the tools to do so such as AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication.)

Language Skills are Multi-faceted

By understanding that communication skills are multi-faceted, we can better support and connect with young children who don’t speak, have communication disorders, or live with selective mutism . Fortunately, there are many different ways to communicate.

• body language
• facial expressions
• hand gestures

Nonverbal communication is a valid form of communication. As such, it’s important to encourage nonspeaking young children to grow their communication skills in a safe, encouraging environment. When you support a child’s ability to communicate, you provide them with one of the most empowering life skills.

In the end, autistic children, whether speaking or nonspeaking, enjoy many of the same games and activities as non-autistic kids. I hope this list of games for a nonverbal autistic child has inspired you to follow your child’s lead and have fun together.

So, Friend. Am I missing any of your autistic child’s favorite games and activities? I’m always looking for recommendations to share with other neurodivergent families.

About the Author:

Lindsay is a trauma-informed educator with a Master’s Degree in Teaching. Her mission is to support moms to equip neurodivergent kids (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Anxiety) to thrive as exactly who they’ve been created to be. Wait until you hear the story that led to it all…

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1 thought on “20 Super Fun Games for a Nonverbal Autistic Child”

Hi there I am working with non verbal autistic children I’m not a special needs teacher but I need some ideas of what activities I can do to engage them in doing so how do I get their interest I need your help thanks

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Hi Friend, I'm Lindsay!

We've all been created with gifts, passions, and purpose. My heart is to support neurodivergent moms, kids, and families to thrive! 

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Speech Therapy for Toddlers

Are you looking for ideas for speech therapy for toddlers? Whether you are a speech-language pathologist (or a parent), this blog post is stuffed with ideas, suggestions, and great activities to try with young children! You will find suggestions for toddler books, fun activities, language modeling strategies, and resources for SLPs.

This post contains affiliate links, which means we could receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended.

Speech Therapy Books for Toddlers (and Preschoolers)

Are you looking to build a great selection of books to use with toddlers and preschool students? From interactive books, repetitive books, lift the flap books, and wordless picture books, I’ve created a list of my favorite books get you started! Children’s books are an effective tool for targeting language.

It’s especially important to choose books that are interactive and fun! Here are some great book recommendations for a speech therapist to try using in therapy:

• The Big Book of Exclamations – this interactive book is a fun way to work on imitating actions, gestures, sounds, and exclamations in therapy! Bonus: It’s written by a speech language pathologist!
• Don’t Push the Button – this is SO much fun, and a great way to work on following simple directions and imitating sounds and actions.
• Five Little Monsters – this is another fun interactive book that my students enjoy
• No No Yes Yes – this book is hilarious and will provide easy opportunities to work on gesture and word imitation
• Yummy Yucky – here is another fun book from Leslie Patricelli that will have your youngest clients engaged and laughing!
• Little Blue Truck – the fun sounds and rhymes in this book, paired with engaging illustrations, make it a kid-friendly hit! Plus, it’s easy to practice animal sounds and vehicle sounds using this book!
• Bear Wants More – part of the bear series, this book has beautiful, bright illustrations and focuses on the friendship between Bear and his friends! Plus, it’s a fun way to introduce animal names.
• The Snowy Day – this classic book is absolutely magical to pull out in the winter- or any time of year!
• Full, Full, Full of Love – this comforting book shares a special day between a boy and his grandmother- and the rest of the family- as they gather for a meal
• Peek a Who – this book is quick and fun- plus, it’s a great way to work on sound imitation!
• Where Is Baby’s Belly Button? Children the lift the flaps and can learn about body parts, such as the mouth and eyes.
• Fluffy Animals (Baby Touch and Feel) – little kids will love this hands-on book!
• My First Book of Baby Signs: 40 Essential Signs to Learn and Practice – for children with language delays, introducing some basic sign language can be very beneficial!
• Where the Wild Things Are – this is an absolute classic written by Maurice Sendak, and is absolutely still popular and fun for kids today!
• There Was an Old Lady – the old lady series is always a great go-to with younger kids- and even older children, too! Plus, this book series has colorful illustrations that appeal to kids of all ages.

Speech Therapy Books for Parents

If you want to recommend a book or two to parents, I especially love recommending My Toddler Talks by Kimberly Scanlon. This book explains language modeling strategies that parents can use to encourage language development at home.

Another great recommendation for parents is Let’s Get Talking by Mehreen Kakwan. This book helps encourage the modeling of functional first words.

Speech Therapy Activities for Toddlers (and Preschoolers)

Are you looking for some fun activities to try with younger children? Typically, hands-on, interactive, and child-led activities are best! This can mean going with the flow during speech therapy sessions.

Here are a few ideas!

Put it in, take it out:

There’s really nothing more motivating for toddlers than stuffing real objects in- and taking them out- of other things. So, find a large dump truck toy , and have other small objects or vehicles nearby. Kids love putting objects in the dump truck. You’ll be able to model vehicle sounds and exclamations easily with this activity.

Toy Car Garage Play:

I love this Melissa and Doug parking garage set with wooden cars! Work on vocabulary such as ‘up’ and ‘down’, ‘fast’ or ‘slow’, or ‘in’ and ‘out’.

Tunnel play:

Pop-up tunnels are fun to crawl through. Hide real objects or pictures in the tunnel, and work on sounds, exclamations, and core vocabulary.

Feed the … activity:

You can make a “feed the monster” (or crocodile, or ANYTHING, really) activity. This will be a big hit! Buy a trash can with a flippable round lid, or even an empty Cascade box would work! Attach eyes to it, and you’re ready to go! For children with a speech delay, focus on early syllable structures such as VC (eat!) or CVC (yum!). For children with language delays, you can target core vocabulary words like ‘eat’ and ‘in’ while you feed the monster.

Little People Figurines:

Easily work on language therapy objectives using Little People Figurines ! Model language using parallel talk and self talk.

Sensory Play:

Sensory bins are other forms of sensory play (such as play doh) are very important! For ideas on sensory activities and sensory play, check out the book Sensory Play for Toddlers and Preschoolers by Casey Patch. I often have my students engage in sensory play WHILE I am reading aloud a story to them!

MagnaTiles:

Build creations and let imagination take over while modeling speech and language objectives.

How Language Is Learned

It is important to note that modeling speech and language should involve face-to-face interaction . Language acquisition is meant to happen through shared social experiences. Singing, talking, nursery rhymes, playing, and reading are all great places to start.

I do caution parents to limit screen time when possible. As a mom, I know this isn’t easy in today’s world. Research shows, however, that this is very important.

As speech therapists, know parent involvement is so important in early intervention.

Language Modeling Strategies

SLPs can explain some language modeling strategies to parents.

I explain to parents that they can simply never talk enough to their children. I tell parents to talk all day long about what their child is doing or experiencing. This is known as parallel talk .

Likewise, parents should also talk all day about what THEY are doing, seeing, hearing, and feeling. This is known as self-talk .

Other language modeling strategies can include expansion . If a child says a word, like ‘car’, the adult can repeat that and add a word (“Blue car!”)

I also encourage caregivers to use animated facial expressions . This is a fun way to elicit sound imitation. Also, it is important to help teach children to watch an adult’s mouth as words are modeled.

Speech development can also be encouraged by modeling vowels clearly . We often think of consonants, but many young children who are unintelligible or not yet speaking may be having some motor speech difficulties. SLPs might do this by modeling- “OH- Go!”

One final tip that speech therapists can give to parents is to decrease communicative pressure . As a parent, I know it can be frustrating when children don’t repeat words you’d like them to repeat. I explain the best course of action, however, is to simply model, model, model!

Resources for SLPs

Here are some resources for Speech Therapists to use when encouraging a child’s language development:

• This research article discusses the importance of gestures and early intervention.
• This article provides guidance on coaching parents with language modeling strategies.
• This ceu course, by Cari Ebert, teaches autism strategies for early intervention

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Parent's Academy › Speech Therapy › Speech Therapy for Kids › Your Non-verbal Child: How to Set Communication Goals

Your Non-verbal Child: How to Set Communication Goals

Natalie barnes.

Speech Therapist and Audiologist , Cape Town , South Africa

Jan 17, 2022 There are many reasons why your child may be non-verbal. The key is for you to identify and understand the range of their communication difficulty and possibly the underlying cause. In this blog you will find out about stages of communication, setting your speech goals for a non-verbal child, and how to actively encourage your child's communication.

Having a non-verbal child isn’t easy. Even knowing what a child’s communication development stages are is a lot of work. Not to mention learning to understand nonverbal communication, speech therapy goals, or even what it means to have effective communication with your child, your non-verbal child.

The best place to start is to take the first step and learn about setting goals and objectives that are realistic. First, let’s look at what ‘non-verbal’ means.

In This Article

How does your non-verbal child communicate and why, your child’s stage of communication.

• Set Communication Goals for Non-verbal Child

Encourage Communication with Non-verbal Child

Help your child make requests.

• Encourage Your Child Refuse or Tell You “No”

Help Your Child Learn to Greet and Say “Bye”

Encourage your child to interact or make comments, help your child make choices.

• How Speech Blubs Can Help your Child

For example, your child may be non-verbal due to a language disorder or speech delay ; they may even have a physical speech impediment that prevents them from being able to speak at all.

The most common cause of children being non-verbal is that they have difficulty understanding social interactions and responding within them – something that is largely seen in autistic children and other developmental disorders such as Down syndrome.

What is Communication?

Before you can help your nonverbal child to verbalize, you need to understand why you want them to verbalize, and what skills they require to do so.

Children and adults verbalize in order to communicate. Communication happens when one person sends a message to another person. You can send this message in a variety of ways and for different reasons.

The core aspects of communication involve:

• How you communicate, and
• Why you communicate.

Communication is a process. Effective communication is built through interaction and connection, which is the basis of two-way communication . Oftentimes, non-verbal children have difficulty verbalizing because they have some degree of difficulty interacting with others. This makes developing communication skills even harder.

In order to have successful interactions your child needs to:

• Respond to others’ communication attempts, and
• Initiate communication attempts with others

If you’d like to learn more about communication and how complex it can be, watch this video .

Your Child’s Likes and Dislikes

The most important tool to use when working on communication with non-verbal children is targeting their likes and dislikes. You can use these to encourage communication by focusing on their likes so that you know what motivates them to communicate. Use structured activities that will incorporate your child’s likes and dislikes!

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Just because your child isn’t speaking, doesn’t mean that they aren’t communicating . Children communicate through actions, sounds, body language, and words. If you discover how your child communicates, you can develop their strengths and teach them other forms of communication through those modalities.

Your child may be communicating non-verbally:

• Crying or screaming
• Moving their body next to people and things they are interested in
• Turning their body away from people and things they aren’t interested in
• Using gestures and facial expressions
• Reaching with an open hand for things they want
• Taking your hand to get you to do things for them
• Looking at things they want
• Pointing to things they want and then at you for assistance
• Using pictures
• Making sounds and speech sounds

It’s not enough to simply look at how your child communicates, you also need to look at why they communicate. Once you know the purpose of their communication you can help your child find more ways and more reasons to communicate .

In her book “ More Than Words : A Guide to Helping Parents Promote Communication and Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder ,” author Fern Sussman describes non-verbal children as being on a four-stage continuum.

By identifying your child’s stage of communication, you will know what they can and cannot do, as well as what you can expect them to do next. This will help you set communication goals for them.

These are the four stages of speech and language development by Fern Sussman:

1) Own Agenda Stage

A child at this stage wants to play alone and appears uninterested in people and activities around them. They don’t understand that they can affect people by sending a message directly to them, so they display no intentional communication. You can expect your child to:

• Understand almost no words
• Almost never interact with other children
• Cry or scream to protest
• Interact with you briefly
• Want to do things alone
• Reach for what they want
• Look at what they want
• Play in unusual ways

2) Requester Stage

A child at this stage is beginning to realize that their actions can have an effect on you . They ask you for things they want or need by pulling or leading you to it, and they enjoy playing physical “People Games.” You can expect your child to:

• Echo/copy a few words that you say in an attempt to communicate
• Understand the steps in familiar routines
• Request that you continue a physical “People Game” with eye contact, smiles, body movements, and sounds when you pause or stop playing
• Occasionally follow directions if they can see what they need to do

3) Early Communicator Stage

A child at this stage is using specific gestures, sounds, pictures or words consistently to ask for things in very motivating situations. Their social interactions last longer and their communication is more intentional , though they still mainly communicate to ask you to do things for them. You can expect your child to:

• Interact with you and familiar people in familiar situations
• Take more turns in “People Games”
• Begin to protest or refuse using the same forms of communication
• Occasionally use the same forms of communication to get your attention or to show you something
• Understand simple, familiar sentences with visual cues
• Understand the names of familiar objects and people without visual cues
• Say “hi” and “bye”
• Answer yes/no questions
• Answer “what’s that?” questions

4) Partner Stage

A child at this stage is a more effective communicator with a certain set of language skills. They should be able to talk and carry on a simple conversation . They sometimes can’t come up with their own words and rely on memorized words or phrases.

This usually happens in unfamiliar situations when they don’t understand what is being said and struggle to grasp the rules of conversation. You can expect your child to:

• Participate in longer interactions with you
• Play with other children successfully in familiar play routines
• Draw your attention to something
• Ask and answer questions
• Talk about the past and the future
• Express feelings
• Make up their own sentences
• Sometimes repair or fix what they say when someone doesn’t understand them

Setting Communication Goals

Now that you have read about the stages of communication, and know your child’s level of communication, you can set goals for them to challenge and actively encourage their communication.

You can do this by following Fern Sussman’s communication continuum as described in her book “More Than Words,” as well as this post. 

Just because your child isn’t speaking, doesn’t mean that they aren’t communicating.

The key to helping your child communicate lies in setting realistic expectations for them . Ultimately, you want your child to achieve the following primary goals:

• Interaction with you and other people
• Communicating in new ways
• Communicating for new reasons

The best way to achieve these goals is to use your child’s likes and dislikes, as well as their stage of communication .

Once you know your child’s stage, continue reading this article.

1) Goals for the Own Agenda Stage

• Encourage your child to have joyful interactions with you in physical “People Games” 
• Set up situations for your child to communicate intentionally, starting with requests
• Teach your child to take turns using forms of communication (body movement, eye contact, smiling, sounds, etc.) during physical and sensory play
• Increase your child’s understanding of activities so that they can begin to respond to what you say

For more information, guidance, and techniques on how to work with your non-verbal child at the Own Agenda stage watch this video:

2) Goals for the Requester Stage

• Help your child use an action or sound to get you to continue a physical “People Game”
• Help your child replace pulling and leading you with forms of communication
• Increase the things for which your child makes requests
• Help your child understand several familiar words
• Encourage your child to play “People Games” with other familiar people – like siblings or grandparents

This video will tell you how to work with a child at the Requester Stage:

3) Goals for the Early Communicator Stage

• Teach your child to take turns with you and other people in physical “People Games”
• Encourage your child to initiate physical “People Games” rather than just waiting for you to do so
• Help your child increase their use of communication forms to make requests in new situations
• “Echoes/copying” into spontaneous speech
• Gestures into signs, speech, or picture communication
• Picture communication into verbal communication
• Single-word communication into short phrases
• Refuse and protest
• Answer questions
• Say “hello” and “bye”
• Shift their gaze between you and something they’re interested in
• Draw your attention to someone or something
• Comment on unusual or favorite things
• Help your child understand familiar words and phrases and follow simple directions

4) Goals for the Partner Stage

• Replacing “echolalia/copying” with their own words
• Using correct words and sentences in conversation
• Answering closed- and open-ended question
• Talking about the past and future
• Talking about feelings
• Playing “Pretend”
• Showing them how to start and end a conversation
• Showing them how to stay on topic
• Explaining that others don’t always understand what they mean so they have to change what they say
• Explaining that they should ask for clarification if they don’t understand
• Identify and describe feelings
• Make comparisons
• Problem-solve
• That other people have different points of view
• Help your child play and communicate successfully with other children

How to work with kids at the Early Communicator or Partner stage :

The best way to get your non-verbal child communicating is by giving them a reason to communicate . It is very tempting to ensure that your child has everything they need and that it is well within reach. However, if your child doesn’t have any difficulty getting what they want, then they don’t have any reason to communicate with you. Thus, you need to create situations that encourage communication.

Here are some suggestions to encourage children of all ages to communicate for a variety of reasons. Remember that not all of these communications need to be verbal . If your child communicates using sounds, gestures, facial expressions, or even pictures, then it counts as a communicative attempt. 

Place their favorite things out of reach

If you place your child’s favorite food or toy on a high shelf or countertop that they can see but cannot reach, then they are more likely to ask you for help so that they can get it. You can also place these items in a clear plastic container that is hard to open. Your child will be able to see what they want, but they will have to ask you for help to get it

Use people toys

These toys are hard to operate and encourage interaction because your child needs your help to make them work. Give your child time to look at the toy and step in when you see them becoming frustrated or when they ask for your help.

Wind-up and squeeze toys

Once you have wound up a toy or squeezed it to make it jump it will stop moving. Hand it to your child and wait for them to request that you make it move again 

Blow a few bubbles and then pause. Wait for your child to ask you to blow them again

Blow up a balloon and let the air out, then put the balloon to your mouth and wait for your child to ask you to blow it up again

Music boxes

Wind up the music box and let the music play, then wait for your child to ask you to do it again once the music has stopped

Jack-in-the-box

Wind up the jack-in-the-box and let him pop out. Wait for your child to ask you to do it again

Mirrors are fantastic for playing peek-a-boo games and copycat games. You can play any game or sing any song in front of the mirror. Wait for your child to ask you to do any of the activities again, and encourage them to play copycat games with you

Offer things bit-by-bit

If you give your child everything they want all at once, then they won’t need to ask you for anything. By giving your non-verbal child things in small amounts, you are providing them with more opportunities to communicate their needs to you. Some toys, like Lego ’s, are easy to give out bit-by-bit, as are snacks like raisins and potato chips.

Give all but one

Give your child all but one of the things they need for an activity. Hold it out of their reach, but in their view, and wait for them to ask you for it .

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Help Your Child Refuse or Tell You “No”

Offer their least favorite things

Offer your child food, drink, or a toy that you know they do not like so that you give them the opportunity to say “no”

Let your child end the activity

Wait until your child gets bored with an activity and then let them tell you, through whatever mode of communication they prefer, that they have had enough

Use puppets, stuffed animals , or Legos

A puppet or a Lego Minifigur e can demonstrate greeting and saying “bye” by repeating the action several times as you make the puppet appear and disappear behind your back, encouraging your child to say it with you and then on their own

Ut ilize your window

Stand at your window when you are expecting guests and wave at them and say “hi” as they walk up to your door. Encourage your child to do the same and then eventually to do it on their own. You can do this when the guest leaves as well

Create predictable routines, then present a surprise

Adding a surprise to your daily routines encourages your child to react and to hopefully want to communicate about it

Look through a book whilst pointing and naming pictures, then turn a page and point to a picture but don’t say anything, let your child name the picture. Let your child help you unpack the groceries and show great interest in the items, naming them as you take them out of the bag. When you come to your child’s favorite food, wait for them to get excited and name it

Offer something different

Play with toys that use multiple pieces, like puzzles, and pass your child each piece. Then give them something completely different (like a marble) and wait for them to react

Make mistakes “accidentally”

Children love it when their parents make mistakes and do something silly. You could put their shoes on their feet the wrong way or try and put their trousers over their heads whilst getting dressed. You can wait for your child to react and then laugh about it

When all is going smoothly, make something go wrong

A good idea is when you are eating dinner or breakfast, you can “accidentally” drop your fork on the floor and wait for your child to react or let you know

Pretend you don’t know where things are

You and your child can search for things together if you act like you don’t know where they are. Exaggerate your distress and wait for your child to react 

Pretend that you’re “broken”

Set situations up so that it looks like you are experiencing difficulty doing things. You could pretend that you don’t hear the doorbell ringing which gives your child an opportunity to get your attention and tell you what is going on

Start with easy choices

The easiest choice for your child to make is between two things that they can see. One must be something they really like and the other something that they dislike. Hold the choices up in front of them and at first, offer the favorite choice last.

This is because children who are first learning to make choices often choose the last object presented. Once your child is experienced in making choices, you can offer the favorite choice first.

Give visual cues

Your child will need visual cues to help them make choices at first. You can hold real objects, point to real objects, or point to pictures of real objects. Present these in the same way that you did for their easy choices and then increase the level of difficulty

Yes/No choices

This is the same method that you used for helping your child make easy choices, however, you now want to encourage them to verbalize. Hold up what they don’t want and encourage them to say “no.” If your child cannot answer, respond to them to show them what they should do and then try again. Do this with the item that they want as well

Speech Blubs was built for non-verbal children

Our app has plenty of vocabulary activities for your child to choose from, which encourages them to communicate intentionally by selecting what they would like to do and by working through the different situations in each of our “games.” By doing this, your child will learn and understand several familiar words and use them to initiate communication in new situations. 

The kids on our app prompt your child when to speak, and because of the fun nature of our “games,” you’re likely to find your child requesting to play and responding to you in no time at all!

The app supports non-verbal children by allowing them to learn initially whilst observing the kids in the app. They can then begin to imitate the kids when they’re ready.

Remember, if you are unsure about why your child may be non-verbal or if they are having difficulty communicating, you can use our free screener by downloading our app. The screener will highlight your child’s strengths and weaknesses and we’ll even give you a personalized report and actionable advice with the results. You can download the app from the App Store or Google Play . 

You have an ally in Speech Blubs and our biggest success is seeing your child achieve their greatest potential.

Have a question for our Speech Therapists?

The author’s views are entirely his or her own and may not necessarily reflect the views of Blub Blub Inc. All content provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgement, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

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15 Speech Therapy Exercises for Children with Autism

Children with autism put forth a unique challenge, including communication problems , for their parents, caregivers, and therapists. Many children on the spectrum don't like interacting with new faces. They don't like being exposed to unknown environments and new situations.

Speech therapy exercises for children with autism can continue at home under the supervision of a parent and guidance of an SLP (speech-language pathologist). Either parent can mediate online speech therapy for ASD in the form of interactive exercises and activities within the comfort of their home.

Early interventions like autism speech therapy activities and behavior modification exercises can benefit a child on the spectrum. Research shows that some children who receive behavior and speech therapy early in life have higher chances of overcoming the signs and symptoms of autism as adults.

Most of these therapy techniques don't involve the parent and child in a clinical setup. These consist of activities, which can be parts of daily interactions, playtime, storytime, lunch, or dinner with the child.

Parents can add 5 to 10 minutes of such exercises and activities to their child's daily routine. Remember to keep these "sessions" short and engaging for the child.

If your child has a speech delay and other signs of autism, you can try numerous speech therapy exercises at home to aid their speech and language development.

Speech Therapy Exercises for Early Childhood ASD

It is now possible for child psychologists and SLPs to determine if a child is showing signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their early childhood.

Speech therapy strategies for autism spectrum disorder in very young children should aim to boost their communication skills.

Here are some exercises you can do at home with your child –

1. Make Animal noises

Research shows that children with ASD often love animals and respond better to animal noises. You can use this information to set up toy barns, animal trains, and make-believe farms.

Mimic animal noises as your child picks up each animal. Soon, they may try to recreate these noises.

It is one exercise that SLPs recommend for nonverbal children with ASD as well.

2. Teach Them The Essential Words

Learning to use a few essential words like “more,” “help,” and "stop" can help your child in the long run. Many children with autism struggle to use known words in a new context. So, teaching your child to use the same word in different setups can be helpful.

Children with autism often have limited vocabulary, or they don't talk a lot. However, they may learn new words just like their neurotypical counterparts.

You can work with your child in familiar and ordinary environments to teach them the use of a few easy-but-necessary words. For example, during lunch or dinner, once they have finished eating a portion of the food they like, you can gesture towards their plate and say "more." Be sure to accompany "more" with a sign.

It may take some time for your child to respond and eventually say the words. It is important to not lose hope. Patience and regularity are imperative when you are working with someone on the spectrum.

3. Use their Favorite Toys and Snacks

You can use your child’s favorite toy and snacks for this activity. Keep the items out of their reach but within their line of sight.

It may take them a while, but your child can learn to gesture or signal for it. You can help them by pointing and saying the word, “toy” or “snack” for the first few days.

The next step is the child leading the adult by either gestures, signs, or looks towards the item they want. A child with mild to moderate signs of ASD may also learn the name of the items and use the names to ask for them.

4. Provide Positive Reinforcement

Many children with autism, especially those with mild to moderate autism, respond well to positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is an integral part of various speech therapy exercises experts recommend for children with autism.

The concept is simple – you provide a desirable reward every time they respond to their name, use an essential word or follow your instructions. It can be a piece of chocolate, one scoop of ice cream, extra time with the toys they like, or 30-minutes of additional screen time. The reward should be something that the child enjoys and likes.

Children with autism often struggle to respond to their own names, follow multi-step instructions, or hold conversations. This autism speech therapy exercise for kids may encourage the child to engage in behavior you deem desirable.

Next, we discuss Speech Therapy Strategies f or Autism Spectrum Disorder In Preschool-Aged Children –

5. Present Them With Multiple Choices

You can teach children with ASD to make their own choices by offering them more than one option in everyday situations. You can begin this exercise as soon as your child is old enough to talk. It is an essential autism speech therapy exercise for kids that encourages them to make their own choices.

While dressing them, you can hold up more than one pair of socks. Name the colors while holding each pair up like "red," "blue," or "yellow," and wait till they pick one. You can do the same when it's playtime. Ask them what they want to play with and mention the toys by name while pointing at them.

It may take weeks or even months before your child responds with a gesture towards the desired item or names one of them. Remember to not give up. These exercises will encourage your child to select an item and point at the object in response to your query.

6. Play Sorting Games

Studies show that children with autism may show interest in sorting or arranging their toys. The goal of this exercise is to leverage their interest and teach them the purpose of commonplace objects.

You can use real-life objects or picture cards for this game-cum-exercise. For example, you can use fruits and veggies from your kitchen or use picture cards with their photos. Encourage your child to group fruits and veggies according to color or taste.

Let them sort photos according to similarities in sizes and shapes. Mix several picture cards and let your child identify the different foods we eat, clothes we wear, and places we visit. It is an interesting and stimulating autism speech therapy exercise for kids of preschool age.

Let your child sort the different picture cards in a way that makes sense to them. It will encourage independent thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills.

7. Read Short Stories With Your Kid

Your child may have delayed speech, or they may be non-verbal. These are common speech-language disorders associated with autism. Reading with them and even singing rhymes may be a good exercise that encourages them to speak.

Choose an interactive book that comes with photos, pictures, and pull-outs. As you are reading, try to point at every illustration and describe what you are seeing.

Depending on how old your child is, you can ask them to describe what they are seeing. For example, you can point at the photo of a dog and ask what color it is. Or you can ask your child to gesture at the white bird in the illustration.

Try to engage in conversation about the story, the subjects, and the pictures. Ask simple Yes or No questions to your child about the story and its characters if your child shows interest in the book you are reading together.

8. Engage In Sensory Activities

Many children with ASD have sensory processing disorder . It can influence how their brains receive, process, and interpret the signals coming from their environment. Sensory activities can harness the communication skills your child has already learned. Improvement of their communication and cooperation skills is one of the many benefits of speech therapy for autism.

Some of the more common and effective sensory activities for children with ASD include homemade musical instruments, footprint painting, silly putty or cornflour slime, and scented play-dough. The idea is to help your kids get an experience of different textures, smells, and sensations. It may help your child to open up to new sensations.

A large percentage of children with ASD are averse to particular smells and textures. Be sure to consider their likes and dislikes while setting up their sensory activity tables.

The next set includes Speech Therapy Exercises for Elementary School aged children with ASD –

9. Use Communication Boards

Communication boards are an essential part of autism speech therapy activities and speech therapy for children with an autism spectrum disorder. You can use handmade boards or the digital ones you get for smartphones and iPads. Your choice should depend upon which format your child likes more.

Communication boards are part of an augmentative or alternative communication device for children with an autism spectrum disorder. You can begin using them at home, especially if your child is nonverbal or speaks very little.

Communication boards typically have one set of cards with a variety of images related to an event, for example, "play." And the other set comes with a range of emotions like a happy face, sad or angry face. The child can point at how they feel in response to an event or action you pick.

You can encourage your child to use the communication board for simple messages like "I'm hungry," "I need to go to the bathroom," and "I want to play." You can slowly advance their communication skills using the boards to make choices and ask questions.

10. Teach Them Facial Expressions

Children with autism often find it difficult to understand facial expressions . They may struggle to understand what the smile or frown on your face means.

It is possible to teach them the meaning of each expression and its importance in the social sphere. You can use picture cards or communication boards for this exercise as well. Say the name and describe each feeling or expression.

If your child is a little older than a preschooler, you can play a similar game using apps or digital facial expression cards. Make sure they have multiple choice answers along with a description of the emotions, so your kid can pick the correct one.

11. Teach Them to Ask Questions

You can begin this exercise using one of your child’s favorite toys. Hide it in an opaque bag and prompt your child to ask, “what’s in the bag?”

Encourage your child to ask more questions throughout the day like, “Where did doggy go?” or “Can I watch TV?”

Once they are familiar with how questioning and answering works, you can expand the activity by veering into social questions. Prompt your child to ask simple questions, such as, “How are you?” Make a list of similar simple social questions that your child can practice at home.

12. Utilize their Interests

Children on the spectrum typically have intense interests on specific objects. These may include Legos, art, automobiles, animals, music, and gadgets.

You can leverage their intense interest to explore conversations on the topic. Introduce your child to new material on the topic from the Internet. Ask them questions, encourage them to ask questions, engage in non-verbal communication, and practice turn-taking using the objects.

Speech Therapy Exercises For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Middle School And High School –

13. Encourage Socialization

Find support groups and students' groups for children with ASD. If there’s one at their school, nothing like it.

Encourage your adolescent child to sit with them. Even if they are not ready to talk and share, they should have a safe place where they feel comfortable.

Gradually, once your child is interacting actively with their peers, take them out for lunch or dinner. If they are willing, encourage them to place the orders.

14. Teach Your Child about Sensory Overload

Many children and adolescents with ASD experience sensory overload. It can happen when their sight, smell, touch, hearing and taste absorb more information than they can process. An individual with ASD may react “unnaturally” to sensory overloads.

Identify how your child reacts to such situations. Identify their triggers.

You can teach them how to cope with feeling overwhelmed by introducing them to noise-canceling headphones, earplugs, soft lighting, and/or nature-sound videos.

15. Help your Child Behave Appropriately

What is appropriate for one individual may not be for another. Appropriate interactions and behavior can change according to situations, culture, and relationships. It may be extremely challenging for an adolescent with ASD to understand the proper etiquette of social interaction.

You can talk to their behavior therapist, psychologist, and SLP. They can give you culture-appropriate exercises and activities to teach your child how to behave in classrooms, public places, and at home.

When Is the Best Time to Start Speech Therapy for Autism?

Diagnosing autism in children younger than 3 years of age can be challenging. However, in some cases, parents and specialists can recognize speech and language delays in children as young as 18 months of age.

Some telltale signs like repetitive activities, echolalia, resistance to changes in routines, and the inability to interact socially with others belonging to the same age group may confirm autism diagnosis in younger children.

Parents of children with autism can begin speech therapy for autism at home as soon as they receive a formal diagnosis from a speech-language pathologist, psychologist, or pediatrician.

Although it’s a life-long condition, some individuals show the ability to improve and acquire social communication skills as they grow older.

Can Your Child “Grow Out” of Autism?

The likely answer is “no”. However, there is a possibility of improvement through the correct therapy and exercises. It is impossible to predict which children will “grow out” of ASD. Nonetheless, early diagnosis and intervention increase a child’s chances of becoming a healthy, functional, and independent adult.

Children on the autism spectrum face varying degrees of difficulty in communicating. Speech therapy can help ! Above-mentioned 15 speech therapy exercises & strategies for children on the spectrum can strengthen your child's logical and analytical thinking, problem-solving attitude, and social communication skills.

Your child may be entirely non-verbal or shows severe aversion toward ordinary sounds, lighting, and textures. In such cases, it may be necessary to consult with a behavioral therapist and special educator immediately.

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The Therapy Place

What Is Speech Therapy For Nonverbal Autism?

May 12, 2022

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) present in so many ways with varying levels of severity. Though it is not an official diagnosis, some people with autism may not speak at all. According to the NIH, it is estimated that around 25 to 30% of children with autism spectrum disorder may have nonverbal autism.

Though it may be scary as a parent, it is important to know that early interventions for your child can help their communication. In this post, we’ll explore what speech therapy is and how it can be used to help those with nonverbal autism. Below, we’ll provide examples and key benefits of speech therapy for nonverbal autism. 

What is nonverbal autism?

Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder can present in many ways. One presentation, known as nonspeaking or nonverbal autism, is a specific set of symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. People with nonverbal autism may not speak at all or will speak very minimally (a few words).

Nonverbal autism is not a specific diagnosis. Rather, it is a description of a person’s presentation of autism. Although a person with nonverbal autism may have issues with speech, this does not mean that they don’t understand language or communication in other ways.

Nonverbal autism presents as issues with verbal skills and communication. You may notice your child using only a few words or not speaking in full sentences. Perhaps they may use sounds to communicate instead of words or rely on another means for communication than speech. A child with nonverbal autism may not initiate or respond to conversation.

It may not always be possible to recognize the signs of nonspeaking autism. However, some early signs of nonverbal autism may include:

• No laughing or babbling by age 1
• Lack of pretend play by age 2
• Not responding to their name by age 1
• Avoidance of eye contact

It is important to remember that nonverbal autism can look differently in each child. If you suspect your child may be struggling with communication, evaluation by a speech therapist can help.

Why Won’t My Child Speak?

Doctors and researchers do not fully understand nonverbal autism. Each child on the autism spectrum disorder presents differently. This may be a result of genetics or chromosomal disorders or may be caused by issues throughout the development process in pregnancy or infant. 

No matter what the reason for your child’s delays, supporting them as soon as you notice symptoms can help improve their success. Targeted approaches such as speech therapy have a promising outlook to help support your child’s communication.

What is speech therapy?

Speech therapy includes assessment and treatment of communication problems, with efforts targeted to improve communication and speech. Often, speech therapy is done by professionals known as Speech Therapists. Speech therapy can be used to improve language skills, voice and sound production, expression, communication, and much more!

While speech therapy can be done at any age, early intervention shows the most promising results. Children who show signs of language disorders, speech, or voice disorders can show great improvement by using speech therapy sessions.

Speech therapy is targeted based on the individual needs of each person. At The Therapy Place, our team understands the unique needs of every child we serve. Our therapists conduct in-depth evaluations to help identify strengths and areas of improvement, allowing them to target their approach to help individualize a plan for nonverbal autism speech therapy.

The goal of speech therapy for nonverbal autism is to support an individual’s communication skills through various targeted approaches. Below, we will explore the many ways speech therapy can help improve your child’s communication.

How can speech therapy help nonverbal autism?

Speech therapy for nonverbal autism is an important intervention to help support your child. Although there is no cure for nonverbal autism, speech therapy is one of many behavior therapies used to treat autism . Speech therapy can help support your child in acquiring language skills. 

Encourage Social Interactions

To begin with, speech therapy for nonverbal autism can help support and encourage social interactions. This is done through age-appropriate methods that encourage play-based therapy. In some cases, this helps encourage children to speak and enhance their communication.

Enhance Understanding of Spoken Language

Speech therapy for nonverbal autism can also help enhance and support your child’s understanding of language. This applies in situations where the child is struggling to understand spoken language. Through speech therapy sessions, your child will work on enhancing their understanding of verbal communication.

Strengthen other Forms of Communication

Speech Therapy can also help encourage your child to strengthen other forms of communication. While speech therapy can help some children speak, others may speak only in simple phrases. Most children do go on to acquire some language skills, but not all children will become fluent speakers. 

As such, these children will rely on other forms of communication to interact with the world around them. This may include pointing, gesturing, or drawing as alternative forms of communication. Children may communicate using written messages, symbols, voice-output devices, body language, gesturing, and other forms of nonverbal communication.

Build Communication Skills

Speech therapy for nonverbal autism also focuses on verbal communication too. In some cases, verbal communication may or may not be possible for your child. Your child’s Speech Pathologist will have them imitate sounds or simple words to assess their capabilities. If they can produce basic sounds, the approach will be to help support further their speech development.

Speech Therapy for Non-Verbal Autism Focus Areas

Speech therapy for non-verbal autism focuses on building the foundation of communication skills your child needs. This includes activities that focus on and support engagement, and listening, Furthermore, nonverbal autism speech therapy focuses on understanding and responding to language. This includes following directions and comprehension.

Speech therapy will also focus on building the skills required for your child to express their needs. These types of activities can vary but will focus on expressing feelings, commenting on the world around them, and responding to questions. Forms of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) may be used to help support your child too.

Speech therapy sessions will be fun for your child too! Developing play skills for children is essential, with or without nonverbal autism. As such, the therapists at The Therapy Place focus on enhancing cognitive and social development to support a child’s social interactions. 

Examples of Speech Therapy Exercises for Nonverbal Autism

Your child’s Speech-Language Pathologist will help create fun, engaging, and age-appropriate activities and exercises designed to enhance their communication skills. In addition, they may provide other activities which you can help your child with at home (in between their therapy sessions).

Below are some examples of speech therapy exercises used for nonverbal autism:

Journaling: 

Non-verbal children can benefit greatly from using journals. Whether they draw a picture or write, this encourages each child to communicate in a way they feel comfortable with. Your child’s Speech-Language Pathologist may encourage them to write down answers to specific prompts, like what is your favorite food? to allow them to see how the child expresses 

Name Games: 

Often, children with nonverbal autism may not respond to their names. Playing various types of name games is used to help children identify the sound of their name and respond when it is said.

Face Puzzles: 

Activities such as face puzzles can help support your child in expressing their emotions in ways other than verbal communication. Using a face puzzle, your child can show what or how they’re feeling by using other forms of nonverbal communication.

As a parent, recognizing the signs of nonverbal autism can be difficult. Nonverbal autism may cause your child to speak minimally or not at all. If you’ve noticed your child struggling to speak, speech therapy for nonverbal autism may be a great option to support their development.

Think your child may benefit from speech therapy for nonverbal autism? Our team at The Therapy Place can help! Through our trusted three-step method, we will pinpoint where your child needs assistance, practice, and produce progress that will help them! 

Speech therapy takes time and patience. However, many parents have seen tremendous benefits from speech therapy sessions.

For more ongoing information, sign up for The Therapy Place’s email newsletter to get more information, tips, and at-home exercises for your children. 

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Adapting for Autism | Work Tasks for your Special Education Classroom

Autism Resources & Ideas

The Best Classroom Activities for Nonverbal (Nonspeaking) Autistic Students

Share for your fellow special educators!

Are you looking for activities to help teach nonverbal or nonspeaking autistic students in your classroom? If so, you are in the right place!

Let me tell you a little secret:

As a special educator I ALWAYS presumed competence in my students and I hope you do the same.

Want to know something interesting?

If you as the teacher think that a student cannot do something, then they most likely will not be able to.

However, when I approached all learning opportunities as just that-an opportunity for growth and learning, then that is what typically happened. It was pretty cool and eye opening.

Basically what I’m trying to say is don’t treat students who can’t verbally speak any differently than your other students. You may have to use some different types of resources to communicate but that is okay.

Understanding Nonverbal vs. Nonspeaking Autism

According to Autism Speaks , About 30% of the autism population is born not being able to use oral language to speak.

The term “nonverbal” can mean something different for each and every person. We actually used to use this term a lot when I was still teaching.

According to Merriam Webster , Nonverbal actually means “not involving or using words and lacking or appearing to lack the ability to engage in speech.

Nonspeaking is defined as not involving spoken lines and not speaking or being able to speak.

You must remember that students who we refer to as nonverbal can still understand and respond to language . This is why the term nonspeaking can be somewhat preferred because these children can still understand language and communicate in different ways.

Just because someone does not communicate language through speech doesn’t mean they cannot understand or cannot communicate ideas through words.

Many people still use these words interchangeably, I am simply just giving some facts that I have learned recently.

The Best Classroom Activities for Nonverbal or Nonspeaking Autistic Students:

As a former autism classroom teacher who had many nonverbal students, I absolutely get the struggle of figuring out what to teach. I had no district curriculum available for any part of my classroom, so I had to search or create it myself.

Want to know a little trick that I learned as an autism classroom teacher?

Make things the same for students Every. Single. Time.

Once I realized that when I created resources that followed the same pattern while teaching different skills, my students always knew what to do. This way, it didn’t matter if my student was completing an ELA or math work task, they knew EXACTLY what to do every time I put it in front of them because the directions did not change.

This was a HUGE game changer for my students in learning how to work independently on tasks.

Below, I want to leave you with some of my favorite resources that I used in my autism classroom that worked really well with students who were not able to speak but could communicate in other ways.

It’s all about creating an inclusive space where every kid can shine, right? So, let’s dive into some awesome classroom activities that I’ve found super effective.

The Power of Visual Supports

If you work with students with autism, you know the huge power of using visual supports.

For students that cannot communicate through oral language, visual supports are absolutely necessary.

Here are some of my favorite visual supports to use with nonverbal or nonspeaking learners:

Visual Schedules

Visual supports for art class, visual supports for music class, visual supports for pe.

“Visuals are the bridge that connects imagination to understanding, making complex ideas simple and turning dreams into reality.”

Reading Activities for Nonverbal or Nonspeaking Students:

⭐️ picture exchange system (pecs) :.

PECS is a fantastic tool that uses picture cards to help students communicate their desires and feelings. It’s also one of the best professional trainings I ever took.

But guess what?

It’s also incredible for teaching reading!

You can create PECS cards with simple words like “cat” or “dog” and gradually introduce more complex words to build the student’s vocabulary/ reading skills.

⭐️ Interactive Storytelling:

Pick a storybook and make it interactive! Use props, gestures and visual cues to help students engage with the story. Encourage them to point to pictures in the book or use AAC devices to express their thoughts about the story.

You can also use adapted books when reading. I liked to use CORE words to help teach about important subjects. These adapted books for teaching students about the community are some of my favorites.

⭐️ Sensory Reading :

Make reading a multisensory experience. Provide textured books or incorporate sensory elements into storytelling. Sensory reading can enhance comprehension by providing additional sensory input.

For instance, if you’re reading a story about the beach, bring in some sand to touch or seashells to explore while you read to help students better understand the story.

⭐️ Picture to Word Matching Activities:

Like I said above, using visuals is HUGE for working with students with autism, especially nonspeaking students. To access reading skills, I found that using lots of visuals and matching activities were extremely helpful to see if students were able to decode words. For this activity, they would have to decode the word and find the corresponding picture that matches the word at the bottom of the file folder.

Math Activities for Nonverbal or Nonspeaking Students:

⭐️ counting with visuals:.

Numbers can be tricky, but visuals make math friendlier.

Use colorful counters, number lines, or even their favorite toys to help them understand counting and basic math concepts.

Use colorful building blocks or LEGO bricks. Ask the students to build towers or structures with a specific number of blocks, like “Build a tower with 5 blocks” or “Make a bridge using 3 blocks.”

This hands-on activity reinforces counting and basic math concepts such as addition and subtraction.

⭐️ Matching File Folders :

If you have students who can’t orally tell you the answer and maybe struggle with fine motor skills, completing some matching file folder activities like these counting file folders can be a great idea. I would use these an assessment tool to see where students were with their counting at the beginning of the year and throughout the year to collect data.

The only downfall to matching activities is that students can guess the answer and still get it correct. The big positive to using file folder activities like this is their ability to complete the work independently.

Writing Activities for Nonverbal or Nonspeaking Students:

⭐️ aac writing apps:.

There are some fantastic apps designed to support AAC users in developing writing skills. They can type or select words and sentences to create stories or communicate their thoughts in writing. AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication. Basically it just means another form of communicating besides verbally speaking.

When choosing an AAC app for writing, it’s essential to consider the individual needs and preferences of the user, as well as the level of support required. Many of these apps offer free trials or lite versions, allowing you to explore their features and determine which one best meets the specific needs of your students.

Here are some AAC Writing Apps you could try:

➡️ Proloquo2Go :

This comprehensive AAC app offers a text-based communication system with a wide range of customizable features. It allows users to construct sentences and paragraphs using symbols or text. Proloquo2Go also includes a robust vocabulary and grammar support.

➡️ TouchChat :

TouchChat is a versatile AAC app that includes both symbol-based and text-based communication options. It provides word prediction and abbreviation-expansion features, making it easier for users to write sentences and messages efficiently.

➡️ Snap + Core First:

Created by Tobii Dynavox, this AAC app offers a versatile platform for communication, including text-based messages and writing support. It has a user-friendly interface and a wide range of vocabulary and symbol options.

➡️ LAMP Words for Life:

LAMP (Language Acquisition through Motor Planning) is an AAC app that emphasizes motor planning and language development. It can be adapted for writing by creating custom grids or using the built-in text-based communication feature.

➡️ SpeakBook:

While primarily designed for storytelling and social interaction, SpeakBook can also be used for writing activities. It enables users to create stories, captions, and sentences using text and symbols.

⭐️ Cut and Paste Writing Activities :

Cut and paste worksheets are particularly helpful for teaching the sequencing part of writing. I like to use these cut and sequence worksheets . Then, if students are able to-they can use the sequencing steps to create a short sentence or paragraph using the picture prompts, depending on their writing goals.

Social Skills Activities for Nonverbal or Nonspeaking Students:

⭐️ visual social stories:.

Use visual social stories that depict various social situations and appropriate responses. These stories can serve as a valuable resource for teaching social cues and expected behaviors.

A social story is usually written in first person (as if it’s from the student’s perspective). It is a simple narrative that answers questions about a problem that the student may encounter and how to deal with them. It helps autistic students understand social norms and learn how to communicate with others effectively.

For example, if a student hates loud noises and a fire drill is coming up that week-you may read them a social story about what will happen during the fire drill and what to do when the alarm goes off to ease their mind a bit.

Adapted 4 Special Ed has some great choices for social stories that you can find HERE.

⭐️ Group Games:

Engage students in group games or activities that require cooperation and interaction. Games like “Simon Says,” or board games such as Candy Land can be incredibly effective in promoting social skills and engagement such as following directions or turn-taking for students who are nonverbal.

⭐️ I Feel I Need Visual Choice Board :

While this visual was designed for students with autism, it can be beneficial for any struggling students. Even verbal students can have trouble retrieving the words or articulating what they need can benefit from using this.

Providing students with this simple file folder visual support can allow them to express their needs in a simple way by using pictures to help show what they need or how they are feeling in certain situations.

Best Activities for Nonverbal or Nonspeaking Autism

Remember, every nonverbal or nonspeaking student is unique, so it’s essential to tailor these activities to their specific needs and preferences. Stay flexible, be patient and celebrate every small step of progress along the way! I hope you found some of these ideas helpful! Please let me know below which ones you will try!

• ← 3 Things To Do the First Week of School: Autism Classroom
• 7 File Folder Hacks for your Autism Classroom →

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Speech Therapy Treatments For Kids With Nonverbal Autism

As a parent, you want what’s best for your child.

No doubt you’ve researched everything from play activities, to diet, to daycares in an effort to give your child every possible advantage.

Hearing the news that your child has a developmental disability like autism spectrum disorder may feel disheartening.

Will your child be able to keep pace with their peers?

How will their life be affected?

Was there anything you could have done differently?

It’s natural to worry about your child, but it’s also important to know that there’s help available.

It is possible for nonverbal autistic children to live long, happy, and healthy lives.

If your child is non verbal, you may want to consider speech therapy for kids .

At District Speech, we provide speech therapy in Washington , and today we’ll take a look at how speech therapy can help non verbal autistic children.

Keep reading to learn more.

What Is Nonverbal Autism?

Nonverbal autism falls under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

If your child is autistic, you’ve likely noticed that their ability to socialize and communicate may be impacted.

Your child may also experience differences in their development and behaviour compared to their typically developing peers.

Not all autistic children are nonverbal.

However, up to 30% of autistic children are minimally verbal or nonverbal.

Let’s look at how to recognize nonverbal autism, and some ways speech therapy can help improve communication.

What Are The Symptoms Of Nonverbal Autism?

If your child cannot speak clearly without interference, they may have nonverbal autism.

Many autistic children can speak, although they may have difficulty with certain aspects of communicating or keeping up the back and forth of a conversation.

However, children who are nonverbal can’t speak at all.

There are many reasons why a nonverbal autistic child may not speak.

It’s important to understand that being nonverbal isn’t a refusal to speak.

Some children who are nonverbal don’t speak because they can’t, due to something like childhood apraxia of speech .

This occurs when your child’s brain has trouble sending the signals it needs to coordinate the muscle movements of speech.

Other autistic children may be physiologically capable of speech, but may have other developmental experiences that makes speaking challenging.

An inability to speak is the main symptom that differentiates nonverbal autism from other autism.

However, being nonverbal on its own doesn’t necessarily mean your child is autistic.

There could be another explanation, such as selective mutism or hearing loss .

If you think your child may be autistic, there are other signs to look out for .

These are often divided into three categories: social, developmental, and behavioural.

Social symptoms involve having issues with social interaction, and include:

• Avoiding eye contact
• Not recognizing/respecting personal space
• Resisting physical contact
• Struggling to participate in back and forth communication

Behavioral symptoms include:

• Being upset at interruptions in routine
• Intense or obsessive interests and fixations
• Short attention span
• Repetitive behaviours and movements, also called stimming

Developmentally, they will often be delayed compared to other children of their age.

You might notice that compared to other children their age, your child struggles with things like their gross motor skills and fine motor skills .

RELATED: How Can Speech Therapy & Physical Therapy Help With Autism Spectrum Disorder?

What Are The Early Signs Of Nonverbal Autism?

According to the Centers for Disease Control , most cases of nonverbal autism can be recognized by the age of two.

Signs to watch for include:

• Not responding to their own name by the time they turn one year old
• Unusual reactions to sounds, smells, taste, touch
• Not showing interest in objects (such as pointing at an airplane overhead) by 14 months
• Hand flapping, spinning in circles or rocking their body
• Not playing “pretend” by 18 months
• Showing obsessive interest in things
• Avoidance of eye contact
• Upset by small changes to routine
• Delayed speech and language skills
• Trouble understanding feelings
• Preferring to play independently from other children
• Inappropriate facial expressions

RELATED: Frequently Asked Questions About Autism Spectrum Disorder

How Can Speech Therapy Help With Nonverbal Autism?

Every child should have some way of communicating their needs with those around them.

With the proper tools, even children who never learn to speak become able to communicate and advocate for themselves.

If you suspect your child has nonverbal autism, there are a variety of ways speech therapy can help them to develop communication skills.

Let’s have a look at some strategies which can help.

1. Determining If Speaking Is An Option

Some children who are nonverbal may be able to develop the ability to speak with some practice.

Having them attempt to imitate sounds or simple words can show whether or not further developing speech may be a viable option.

If they are able to form basic sounds, then further speech development is likely possible.

2. Finding And Employing An Alternate Communication Method

If verbal communication doesn’t seem possible, a speech therapist can help your child access augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) .

These can include:

• Body language
• Pictures boards or picture exchanges
• Object symbols
• Sign language
• Written messages
• Voice output devices

Often, even if your child can communicate verbally, AAC may help make their communication more efficient .

AAC can even be used to support your child in developing more verbal communication by encouraging them to communicate independently.

3. Teaching Them To Follow Directions

For directions which are given routinely day to day, creating picture cues can help them learn to follow directions.

To do this, make a list of instructions or directions you are using regularly with your child, and create picture cues to go with them.

You can use positive reinforcement, such as access to a favorite toy, to help teach your child these cues and reinforce learning.

4. Teaching Them To Imitate Others

Children who don’t have the developmental issues associated with autism, generally learn to imitate others at a young age.

This imitation is important for social interactions.

Although it often doesn’t come naturally to autistic children, this skill can be taught.

Start with easy, whole body gestures and work up to complex actions and fine motor skills.

5. Teaching Other Skills

There are other skills that are important for children to develop that involve communication.

Things like learning to request a favorite toy or learning turn taking are important for every child.

This is especially true for autistic children, as these things may not come naturally for them.

A speech therapist can help teach your child ways to communicate “my turn”, and then as they get older “in a minute” and learning to take turns.

Book Your Appointment With District Speech Today

Are you worried your child isn’t developing at the same rate as their peers?

Maybe they’re not speaking at the same rate of other children at preschool.

Or you seem to recall their older sister or brother was speaking in full sentences by now.

District Speech can help.

One of our professional speech therapists can perform an assessment of your child’s development, and offer solutions to help with speech development.

Book your appointment with District Speech today .

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Speech Tube: Nonverbal Social Skills

11/07/2014 by Jenna 2 Comments

One of my most unique speech therapy activities for middle schoolers is Speech Tube. This fall I added another set: Speech Tube Social: Nonverbal Cues.

The Speech Tube is back! I’m starting a Social set of activities. The first highlighted skill is identifying body language and nonverbal communication.  My student’s were not happy to be coming to the speech office. One week I pulled out my iPhone and let them watch a popular You Tube clip. After 3 minutes of laughing and watching clips, I was able to get them to work for the next 30 minutes on our speech and language goals. Since then, I’ve been finding ways to spark their interest with clips!

**********Updated 10/1/14. Replaced the Sue Heck video with a new one. The old link broke and was no longer viewable. Replaced the Sheldon Smile video to one that is now viewable on mobile devices. Please re-download.

Have you used videos to engage middle schoolers? Leave a comment and let me know how!

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11/07/2014 at 9:15 am

I just bought both of your Speech Tube sets! I am super excited to start using them. 🙂

11/07/2014 at 10:40 pm

FYI- safeshare.tv is a website that converts YouTube links into advertisement free videos. It’s pretty great!

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13 Must-Have Teletherapy Activities for Speech Therapy

• April 4, 2020

It can be overwhelming when you need to transition to doing teletherapy overnight and you’re suddenly trying to find teletherapy activities for speech therapy. Feeling comfortable with your platform and finding materials that are platform friendly are two essential components to starting off on the right foot. Today, I’m here to share my top 13 must-have teletherapy activities for speech therapy. They are all platform friendly and are interactive pdf files. Simply pull them up and share your screen (or give control of your screen if your platform has that capability) and you’re ready to use them for teletherapy!

If you’re more of a visual person, I’ve gone ahead and put together a demo of these resources in the video below. If you prefer text, keep reading below where I’ve listed out the resources. Please keep in mind that all of these resources are a part of the Digital SLP Membership , so if you are a member you are able to access each of these resources from your member dashboard.

• Create-A-Story – Great for expressive language, retell, sequencing, and turn taking. Available in the Digital SLP Membership or can be purchased on TpT here .
• Would You Rather? – This is great for students who are working on language expansion, social skills, and expressing opinions. It is available as part of the Digital SLP Membership and is also a part of the Would You Rather? Bundle on TpT .
• Core Word Work: Want – This is great for working on core words. A visual is provided, examples using real pictures are provided, and then a comprehension check using multiple choice options is provided in the last section of the resource. This is part of the Digital SLP Membership and is also part of the Core Word Work Bundle on TpT .
• Stretch-A-Sentence Language Expansion Leveled Activity – This is definitely a must have for students working on language expansion. The two levels are a nice way to use it in groups with students functioning at different levels. This one is a Digital SLP Membership exclusive resource.
• No Print Easter Vocab Builder – This is seasonally relevant right now, but if you’re reading this post at a later date then know that this is a series of resources so there others available for different seasons and holidays. It’s available within the membership and is also in my TpT store. It can be purchased individually or as part of the bundle .
• No Print Articulation Screener – All Consonants and Blends + Digital Data Tracking Sheet – This resource comes in handy when you’re screening new students and trying to get some good baseline data. It looks at all consonants and blends and includes a digital data tracking sheet that is opened via Google Sheets. If you’re not familiar with Google Sheets, a link to a video tutorial is provided within this resource. This is also provided within the membership or you can download it from TpT here .
• No Print Stuttering Education for Young Students Who Stutter – This resource reviews the speech helpers, belly breathing, different types of “bumps”, body awareness, and two cute stories to help students understand that it’s ok to stutter. This is located within the Digital SLP Membership as well as on TpT .
• No Print Parts of Speech – This resource is quite comprehensive. It covers nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. At the end it has a practice set where you can practice identifying different parts of speech. It’s in the membership and also can be purchased in my TpT store as well.
• No Print Idioms – This is one of my all-time favorite resources! It provides a nice explanation of what idioms are, then gives some amazing visuals and memory tips for helping with comprehension and retention. After that, there is a multiple choice section where students can test their knowledge of the idioms that were covered. It’s housed within the Digital SLP Membership and can also be found here on TpT .
• No Print Noun Cards – These are simple, but very convenient and functional! Modify their use and turn them into an object function or object description task! They’re on the membership site and can be found at this link in my TpT shop .
• No Print Apraxia Cards – These are also simple, but very convenient to have so many cards all in one place. There are cards to target CVs, VCs, CVCs, and CVCVs. They can be found here on TpT or on the membership site.
• No Print Caption This: Animal Expressions – This resource is great for working on social skills and fun too! Students can caption how they think the animal is feeling based on their expression. It’s available inside of the membership and can be found in my TpT shop here .
• No Print Phonology: Stopping -Your little students will have a blast as they say their minimal pairs and a puzzle piece is pulled away to slowly reveal the picture behind it. This one can be found in the membership or can be purchased on TpT here .

I hope you find that roundup list to be helpful. What are your favorite teletherapy activities for speech therapy?

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Teletherapy platform-friendly activities and games for articulation, phonology, language, social skills, stuttering and more. 

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