These are nonverbal prompts, which are really easy to make and so useful in social skills activities for kids with Asperger’s and other autistic spectrum disorders. Shown here are my old, beat-up ones I have used dozens of times.
This blog entry explains the nonverbal communication prompts which can be downloaded from next blog entry
Children with Asperger’s and other autism spectrum disorders usually have difficulty expressing themselves effectively through nonverbal communication. When we correct them and remind them verbally, they sometimes tune us out; many are visual learners.
In your work with children on the autism spectrum, it is very useful to keep around a set of nonverbal communication prompts
Click on them and print them out from the next blog entry:
*Eye (for eye contact or at least looking towards the other person
*Ruler (for distance from the other person–too close or too far)
*Face (using the appropriate facial expression)
*Hand (using hand strategically in communication; avoiding distracting hand motions)
*Ear (technically not “nonverbal communication” but useful as a prompt for “listen”)
The quickest way for you to learn how to use these prompts is for you to watch a very short Youtube video I made: http://bit.ly/yn8BWd
Speaking of nonverbal communication, here is one of the 62 cards from my Ryuu card set. Click on the picture for more details.
When you print out the visual prompts in the next blog: Click on them, print (on cardstock of you have it), laminate (you will use these all the time and they will get beat up!)
Wishing you well in your work in social skills with children on the autism spectrum,
Joel Shaul, LCSW
