“Us adults tend to talk a lot when we are with our children with Autism. We can ply our children with lots of questions, we make many requests of our children, and sometimes we actually become flat-out “Motor Mouths” around our children. One of our children’s challenges is verbal communication, so inspiring them to talk is definitely something we want for them. The thing is, when we ourselves are doing all the talking, there is no space left for our children to use their language.
“No matter the level of language your child is currently at, whether you want your child to form one clear word, use sentences, or have a conversation with you, one of the most useful Son-Rise Program techniques you can use with your beautiful child is to SPEAK LESS.
“When you reduce the amount of talking you do around your child, it frees up room for you to listen more, it leaves more opportunities for your child to find the confidence to share more language. Many parents report to us that by simply reducing the amount of talking they themselves do with their children they have heard words they did not know their children were capable of and their children have started talking more.”
Written by Becky Damgaard, Senior Son-Rise Program Teacher