Expressive Communication

In addition to difficulties with receptive communication, students with ASD may also have challenges with expressive communication. According to the National Consortium for Deaf-Blindness, expressive communication, "involves sending a message to another person(s) to (a) make something happen or (b) stop something that is already happening." In order for students with ASD to practice expressive communication, they must be able to communicate what it is that they either want or do not wnat. Pausing is a great strategy for teachers to use with students with ASD. According to the Autism Manual from the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (2009), "pausing gives the student more time to understand that it is his or her turn to communicate, to process what may have been asked, and to formulate a message."


Break Cards
Break cards are cards that a student can show a teacher, friend, adult, etc. to show that a break is needed. Maybe the student is feeling frustrated, angry, or anxious about a certain activity. The cards should be easily accessible to the child, so they know where they are kept and who to show them to.

Below, are examples of what a break card might look like.



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Choice Cards (two examples)
Choice cards work in a similar way as break cards, but instead of signally that a student needs a break, a student uses a visual representation to show a certain choice. For example, a student may use a choice card to choose a recess activity, like in the picture below.


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Choice cards can also be used in many other situations, such as choosing a snack, like the picture below.

http://lessonpix.com/articles/9/41/Choice+Cards


Past Event Cards

Many students with ASD have difficulty relating past events to each other. To help students communicate about their day, past event cards can be used. This way, students will be able to share events from their day with their families. They can also be used in school, as well as other places where communication is desired.

For example, a student may have a past event card that says:

Today I read ____________________________,
played __________________________________,
and learned about _________________________ in the Science Lab.

Then, the student could fill out the appropriate information about his/her day and communicate about those events with family members at home.


In addition to filling in choices, a student could communicate about his/her day by circling choices that represent what he/she did that day.

For example:

Today I:
Read a book
Wrote a story
Played a game
Had indoor recess
Had outdoor recess
Went to the Computer Lab
Went to the Science Lab

Dell, A., Newton, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive technology in the classroom. (2nd ed., pp. 3-22). Upper Saddle River: Pearson.