Supporting Communication
Each child in the EYFS setting will have a unique communication profile. Once their individual strengths and needs have been assessed, strategies can be put into place to support the child’s communication.
The ongoing monitoring and implementation of strategies is best carried out as a collaborative process, involving the child, their family, teachers and support staff.
Any support provided should be child-led and focused on affirming their methods of communicating. The child should never be expected to mask or change who they are in order to conform to neurotypical expectations (e.g. setting a goal enforcing eye-contact or sitting still).
Expressive language targets should prioritise functional skills that allow the child to express their needs (e.g. food, toilet, rest) and support their wellbeing (e.g. language related to emotion and problem solving).
Strategies to support communication:
- Adapt the environment for comfort and access
- Consider the sensory and visual environment and adjust where needed to support regulation and participation. This may include reducing overwhelming sensory input or ensuring access to sensory supports, within a predictable and accessible space.
- Follow the child’s lead
- Join the child’s interests and chosen activities. Communication grows from shared attention, curiosity and connection rather than directing or redirecting interaction.
- Create opportunities for connection
- Embed communication within everyday routines, play, shared interests and natural contexts. Recognise that communication does not need to look the same across environments or modes.
- Provide visual and multimodal supports
- Many neurodivergent children communicate and understand most effectively through visual, sensory or AAC supports. Offer visuals, objects, symbols, AAC, gesture or movement to support shared meaning and access to communication.
- Respect processing time
- Give space and time for processing, expression and response. Use clear, predictable language when needed, and avoid rushing to fill silence. Non-literal, ambiguous or rapid speech can be reduced when that supports the child.
- Use open and collaborative communication
- Use declarative language and offer invitations in ways that allow for a range of responses and communication modes.
- Model communication, don’t correct it
- Respond by modelling communication that is meaningful and respectful. This may include modelling AAC, acknowledging echolalia or gestalt language, or reflecting language back in an affirming way.
- Value the interaction, not the outcome
- Communication is co-created. Stay attuned to the child’s communication attempts, even when meaning is unclear. Offer alternative tools and modes rather than expecting the child to persist until an adult-led goal is reached. Repair is a shared process and does not require the child to adapt to neuro-majority norms.
Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC)
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) refers to a range of techniques that support or replace spoken communication. These can be no-tech, low-tech or high-tech, and are highly individualised to the communication needs and preferences of the person.
Different types of AAC Systems
No-tech communication requires no equipment – it is sometimes called “unaided communication”. Examples include body language, gestures, pointing, facial expressions, vocalisations and signing.
Low-tech communication systems do not need power to function. They are sometimes called “aided communication” because they use basic equipment. Examples include: pen and paper, alphabet and word boards, communication charts or books with pictures, photos and symbols, particular objects that represent what someone needs to understand or say.
High-tech communication systems need power to function. Most gadgets or software speak and/or produce text. Some are based on familiar equipment such as mobile devices, tablets and laptops and may have simple buttons or pages that speak when touched. High-tech communication is also sometimes called “aided communication” because it uses equipment.
Read next: Visual Schedules →