Social Communication / Autism
Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership
What is Social Communication?
Social communication is the skill that we need to be able to engage with the people around us, in order to be social! It’s a very broad area of development, and it’s made up of lots of smaller skills, including:
- Being able to use language or non-verbal messages (like gestures and eye contact) for lots of different reasons. Children may communicate to ask people for things they want, to say hello to goodbye, to comment on what they are doing and to include other people in their play.
- Being able to engage in a back-and-forth interaction. Young children may be able to engage in games like peek-a-boo, or building blocks, and they should notice and wait for you to take your turn in the game. Older children may be able to take turns while talking, and notice when somebody else has something to say.
- Knowing how to change the way you communicate in different situations. Young children should be able to tell you things using lots of different tools, including a wide range of gestures (they might first try to say the word, and then try pointing). Older children should be able to change the way they communicate depending if they are speaking to a friend or to a teacher in school.
What is Autism?
Autism is a developmental difference that affects communication, social skills and behaviour. Autism is always present in early childhood, but it sometimes doesn’t get noticed until later on in a person’s life. Every child with Autism will develop a little differently, but all of them will have difficulties with social communication. Children with Autism will also show restricted and repetitive behaviours.
Social communication difficulties
Children with Autism will always have difficulties in social communication.
restricted and repetitive behaviour
Children with Autism will also have restricted and repetitive behaviours. Restricted and repetitive behaviours can look very different in different children. They might present in play, where children may like doing the same play action again and again, be interested in a limited range of toys, or organise toys based on shape or colour. They could also present in routines, where children might become distressed at unexpected routine changes, or when people don't follow the rules. Children might also have sensory differences, such as walking on tip toes, being sensitive to loud noises or having a very restricted diet.
How Children With Autism Might Behave
Pre-school Children
- Communicating to ask for things they want, but not for other reasons like to greet or show toys.
- Having limited tools to communicate e.g. taking people by the hand to things that they want, but not being able to use a range of words and gestures.
- Having limited play skills e.g. not being able to combine play actions together, like pouring a drink and then giving it to a doll.
- A general preference for playing on their own, or avoiding people who try to play with them.
- Difficulty responding to the language of other people; in particular, difficulty responding when somebody calls their name, or points to something.
School-aged Children
- Difficulties making or maintaining friendships
- Difficulties understanding social cues and non-verbal communication
- Difficulties accepting changes to routine
- A literal use or understanding of language and difficulties understanding jokes or making inferences
- A restricted range and intense level of interests
- Issues with conversation, perhaps dominating conversations with their favourite topic and not knowing how to take turns.
- Being rigid in following rules at school and in sport and games
- Having unusual interests and obsessions. These interests may appear intense in nature, with a restricted range of interests, for example, they have a lot of knowledge and interest about one topic.
What Next?
In Aberdeen City, social communication difficulties like Autism are assessed by lots of different professionals, including Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists, Developmental Nursery Nurses and others. If you are concerned that your child might have Autism, help is available to you. You should get in touch with your GP, Health Visitor or school in the first instance and share your concerns with them. If your child is struggling to communicate, you can contact us on our advice line for support. Visit our Contact Us page for more information.
How Can I Help?
Pre-school Children
Our top tips for supporting social communication in the early years are:
- Focus on games with no toys! It can be difficult for your child to remember to include you in their play. Games like tickles, chases and songs are perfect, because your child only has one thing to focus on: you!
- Add a visual support! When communicating with your child, try to show as well as say. For example, when you say ‘it’s time for our snack!’, you could also show your child his cup or plate.
- Use lots of repetition! All children learn through repetition, and for children with social communication difficulties, this strategy can be even more helpful. Try to make sure you use the same words again and again in your daily routines. You can also help your child remember what’s going to come next by keeping your routines repetitive. Why not try having a tickle time before breakfast everyday, or songs on the sofa before bed?
School-aged Children
Our top tips for supporting social communication in school aged children are:
- Use role play to act out social situations and help your child learn social rules and build relationships
- Use visual supports (e.g. pictures, photos or symbols) and clear language to support your child’s understanding
- Visual supports (e.g. pictures, photos or symbols) can be used to support explaining changes in routine
Trusted Websites and Resources
PRESCHOOL https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people
PRESCHOOL http://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Articles.aspx
ALL AGES http://www.thirdspace.scot/nait
ALL AGES http://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk
