Children diagnosed with Autism experience challenges developing vigorous gestural and non-verbal communication. Due to complex nature in visual, auditory, spatial, and tactile sensory systems, children with speech and communicative barriers, often experience difficulties in grasping a wide range of meanings for concepts and relations expressed through words. Ones aptitude to become a deliberate communicators can be restricted by the above hurdles. In my professional experience, sign language provides a bridge to support ones ability to use gestural communication more recurrently, with greater intricacy. Along with providing more information about the meanings of words, events, concepts and relations.

Individuals specifically children who experience motor skill hurdles may find it challenging to use sign language accurately at first but only this is only from because of the acquaintance to sign language. With sign language one can express new ideas through gestures that can be understood by primary communicative partners, which supports the individuals intentionality. The sign language user can see that they’re in fact, a communicator and their message is received and acted upon within their environment. Additionally, one is able to share experiences, which leads to a more powerful desire to communicate further. The power to be understood and to send messages that are received nurtures more intentionality and the desire to make more meaning within one’s world; It’s empowering to become to feel understood by others, which then ensues continuation of progress.

Using sign language specifically as another method of communication has often raised fears for families that if this method is employed for children not yet developing verbal expression, verbal expressive language may never develop. Research within the field of Speech Language Pathology, as well as alternative and augmentative communication, has conclusively proven otherwise. Language and communication is far less about the production of sounds and words and more related to the expression of shared meanings within primary relationships. It stands to reason that the creative process is critical to language development and is more intensely demonstrated in the sharing of experience and ideas than of the actual verbal production of words. Again, words without meaning lack the marks of communication. Therefore, those who use sign language to communicate have the ability to express inner ideas and other cognitive processes with another.

I have personally witnessed the power of sign language. Families have often come with stories of meeting with professionals who have indicated that the severity of the motor deficits impacting speech production for their child indicates that they will never verbally produce words. My focus begins with building meaning and comprehension for the individual while using a wide range of non-verbal modalities and a variety of means of expression.

The power of sign language is the irrefutable ability to share meaning with one another, and to build further connections in relationships where a mutual understanding is enhanced by that sharing. For children and adults who are diagnosed with Autism, connections and understanding tends to be the primary goal that we strive for, and it can certainly achieve when we are open to the many modalities and possibilities of communication.

If you have questions or would like to request additional information, please contact: Niccole Pazos at thebridgeoutreachdhh@gmail.com