Has anyone used flashcards to help a child who struggles to communicate?

[MrsNouveauRichards]

I have had a few threads recently about my son (22m) and his behaviour and lack of speech.

I feel his behaviour will improve once he is able to communicate better. He understands everything I say but throws almighty tantrums when I don't do the right thing for him. I am at the end of my tether tbh and have been wracking my brains trying to find a solution.

So, I figured that flashcards with pictures of things (cup, different foods, bottle, nappy, telly, different toys etc) may help him communicate with us what he wants.

He had a 2hr tantrum last weekend because I offered him a biscuit. Maybe he wanted a banana instead?

I know it sounds a bit pfb, but he is my second child and will be the death of me! :o

Has anyone tried this?

I think that sounds fine. Have you tried a few signs too?

When I looked after a little girl, she used to use a first words book to communicate what she wanted. She'd find a picture of a biscuit and point if she wanted one, or a picture of a slide to ask to go to the park. She worked it out herself rather than it being introduced to her, but it was really helpful and didn't hinder talking.

Agree that flashcards might be a good idea but I'd try signing first as he can communicate when he wants then and not just when he has the signs. Have a look at a BSL website or I think Mr Tumble does some Makaton signs. Your local library might also have a book on baby signing which is how I came to do it with my two.

There is a system called pecs which many parents of non verbal children use. Pop over to the special needs section and I'm sure someone can give you some good advice on them.

I don't see that it could do any harm so might as well give it a try? but would definitely try signing too if you can.

I have a 2.5 yr old pretty much non verbal (he does have couple of words) and have started doing some signs with him, which does seem to help a bit. Waiting to go on a course next week which should help more. I got it through portage but its run in a childrens centre so perhaps ask in any cc near you whether they have any signing courses coming up at all?

I asked about pecs in another workshop i was at before and they kind of said "oh you need a slt to help and guide you with how to use it really so better stick to signing for now" but not sure if other people do start on it while awaiting appointments, assessment etc??

Picture books are good for communication though i use them to have a little conversation with mine sometimes, eg looking at different vehicles pictures i ask which one does he like best and he points - atleast it gives a way to find out what they are thinking sometimes, as when they dont communicate in talking it can be hard to tell!

Another idea although you may know or do this already but give choices - for eg show him the banana and the biscuit, and then he can choose by pointing or by whatever method he has to let u know which one he wants to go for. then u can say like "oh i see you want the banana" and give it to him, and it gives him the feeling that he has some input into his own decisions so its a really useful communication for him. if he doesn't choose anything apparently ur supposed to just make the choice for him, but with mine he does choose and i find this does seem quite beneficial for him.

Thank you all.

Yes, I try to let him choose where possible. Sometimes he seems to not want either choice and is looking for what he is thinking of (well, that is what it seems like)

I hadn't thought of signing tbh, as I thought it was something I would have to go on a course for and I have heard the baby signing classes cater for the 6m + age group so he would be a fair bit older (and bigger) than the others. There doesn't actually look to be any classes in the town I live in and to go to one of the bigger towns wouldn't fit with DD at preschool etc....

The flashcards were something I thought we could do ourselves and seeing a picture of something and us saying the word may encourage speech from DS.

Hi, as cats suggested, i would recommend popping over to the special needs children board for some advice.

I think your picture idea is a really good one but there are lots of alternatives already available which although would be more expensive than diy are likely to have many usful pictures/symbols in.

If you ring your nearest childrens centre someone might be able to help you out with a makaton course.

Good luck

I meant to say, with makaton you always say the word that you are signing so it supports speech it doesnt stop them from talking.

Sorry if i am teaching granny to suck eggs but loads of parents think that it stops speech but it really doesnt

Thank you, that is really helpful.

We have taken photos of things and had them laminated, to use with ds.

We also use makaton, we haven't done a course, but just found out a few key words and use them over and over again, along with our dds. We just googled the signs we wanted and stuck them up so we could all learn them (including dds - 5 and 6). Something Special also good for learning signs, and we got a really good makaton nursery rhyme dvd on Amazon.

If you can just learn a few basic signs it can really help. At work the ones i use most are Wait/Stop, Good listening, Good talking, More, Finished, Toilet, Drink, Eat, Cake. They are really easy ones to learn and are very useful with LO's.

Hope you manage to get someone to teach you.

I would try both. It maybe that he is a visual learner in which case actual pictures might work better. It is important to still say the word though. Apparently very simple pictures are best - line drawings, stick men etc.

DS is 6 and struggles with communication - he can speak but doesn't always understand what is being said or how to communicate. I have made my own picture cards on the computer, laminated them and have them on a key chain round my neck. He has a similar set. It works incredibly well and prevents him from becoming frustrating with me.

agree makaton and pecs

He understands very well. I can say to him "can you get your crocs/wellies/dinosaur shoes" and he will get the right pair. He is very good at holding hands when out and about, I can tell him he needs to get in the buggy because we are going to playgroup to see his friends and will follow the order without a problem.

What seems to be the big problem is him telling me things. So this is why having some pictures for him to show me could help (i hope!)

He sounds exactly like the child of my friend's. He would point at things but not say them. The speech therapist taught her two signs 'toilet' and 'drink'. After two days of not getting a drink until he signed it he decided to start talking.

That is comforting Sashh, thank you. I would like to think he is just a lazy toad :o

He has some words which seem surprising - Dizzy (for his sister Daisy) Tract (tractor) Fooball (football) Car, cat and yeah! He has said these words for well over a month now and has said some other random words the once unprompted - chip the other day, but only the once, choc, but again once only, and without being told it.

It is driving me up the wall tbh. Sometimes I get the feeling that there is something not quite right with him, but it is lack of communication and resulting tantrums that make every day seem so hard. The first thing he does when he gets up is tantrum. We ask if he wants to come to our room - throws himself backwards with a whinge, does he want to go downstairs - throws himself down on the floor, milk? - more whinging and a possible headbut. The result is he is taken downstairs, given milk, telly on and he will have a good 5 mins rolling around on the floor, kicking and headbutting, and then lay there for a bit, then decide he quite fancies his milk and goes to watch some telly. If there is anything that can improve situations like these which are happening about 6 times a day (lasting around an hour some of them) then I will go give it a go!