How to Improve Understanding of Children with Autism: 4 Effective Way

Hello Parents, Today, we’ll discuss “Improve Understanding of Children”, especially for autism. Many parents say, “My child knows everything, but they don’t speak.” However, there are certain steps to follow because understanding comes first. Without building their understanding, the children won’t be able to express themselves properly.

Language has two main parts: Receptive Language (understanding) and Expressive Language (speaking). Working on receptive language is essential before we can expect expressive language to develop.

What is Receptive language?

Receptive language means how well the child understands what is being said. For example:

• Does the child follow commands like “Stand up,” “Sit down,” or “Bring your shoes”?
• Do they understand situational commands like knowing it’s time for a bath and bringing their towel?

It’s important to check if the child can follow random or out-of-context commands. For example:

• If you randomly ask them at night to “Bring your towel,” can they do it?

There are specific pointers to observe and evaluate if the child truly understands. Once these receptive language skills improve, expressive language will follow.

What is Expressive language?

Expressive language refers to the ability to convey one’s thoughts and feelings to others through various forms of communication, such as speech, gestures, or facial expressions. It is essentially the skill of expressing oneself in a way that others can understand.

In the context of children, expressive language includes several key abilities:

• Using words to express needs: For example, saying “apple,” “ball,” or “water.”
• Combining words to form sentences: Such as “I want food,” “I need juice,” or “Give me the toy.”
• Naming objects: For instance, identifying a dog and saying “doggy” or “bow-wow.”
• Sharing ideas or creating stories: Through imagination and pretend play.
• Using gestures to communicate: For example, pointing at an airplane and gesturing toward it while saying “airplane.”

All of these are examples of expressive language.

Expressive language is an essential component of communication, developing alongside receptive language (the ability to understand what others say). In simple terms, receptive language is the input, and expressive language is the output.

Children with speech delays or other challenges often develop expressive language skills more slowly. To support them, it’s important to work on:

1. Building vocabulary: Teaching them the names of objects and concepts.
2. Developing imitation skills: Encouraging them to copy words, actions, or phrases.
3. Practicing simple sentences: Helping them use basic phrases for communication.

As these skills improve, children gradually develop stronger expressive language abilities. Over time, with consistent support and practice, they can reach higher levels of language expression.

Focus Areas

By working on these areas, your child’s understanding and expressive language will improve over time.

• Imitation
• Vocabulary building
• Following commands
• Concept building

Key Indicators of Improve Understanding of Children

1. Imitation Skills

The first step is for your child to imitate or copy. This can include actions, household tasks, or even verbal sounds. Start with simple tasks like copying mom sweeping the floor or picking up a spill. Children often begin by imitating what they see around them at home. Focus on imitation, as it’s an important foundation for understanding and learning.

Imitation means copying someone’s actions, behavior, or speech. It is an important skill that typically develops in children between the ages of 12 to 18 months. This skill plays a crucial role in helping children learn and develop communication abilities.

For children, imitation helps in learning new concepts and activities, such as:

• Clapping: Copying the action of clapping hands, tap legs, etc.
• Hand gestures: Actions like waving “bye-bye”, hello, flying kiss, or raising hands.
• Verbal imitation: Mimicking sounds or words, such as saying “mama” or “papa.”
• Object imitation: For example, stacking blocks of the same color (red block, blue block) or mimicking how parents arrange items while sitting together.

Imitation can be categorized into:

• Object imitation
• Verbal imitation
• Expressive language development

Imitation is the first step toward developing expressive language. Without imitation, it becomes very challenging to enhance expressive language skills. To build this skill, parents and teachers encourage children to repeat actions and sounds. This not only improves the child’s understanding but also enhances their communication abilities.

2. Vocabulary Development

Your child needs to have a basic vocabulary of 150–200 words. They should know the names of common objects and people, like mom, dad, glass, or spoon. For example, if your child needs water, they might bring a glass. But do they know it’s called a “glass”? Teaching the names of objects is crucial for building understanding and later expressing themselves.

3. Following Simple Commands

Work on simple commands like:

• “Bring the glass.”
• “Take the plate to the kitchen.”
• “Bring dad from the other room.”
• Start with 5-10 words related to your child’s daily routine and give them commands using those words. Gradually, increase complexity, like “Bring your shoes from the bedroom” etc.

4. Concept Building

Some children develop need-based expressions (like asking for food or toys) but struggle with advanced understanding. To improve comprehension, focus on concept building. For example:

Teach basic concepts like colors, numbers, and matching

• Use specific commands like “Bring the red apple” or “Bring the red glass.”
• Introduce learning through visuals (e.g., flashcards) and real-life practice.
• For non-verbal children, academics can also play an important role in improving understanding. Even if they cannot speak, they can learn through reading, writing, and engaging with concepts. For example:

Match colors or objects: Relate commands to real-world scenarios like “Bring an apple for A” or “H for House.”

Conclusion

Your child’s understanding will not develop in a single day. Remember, consistent daily practice is essential, and your child will gradually learn step by step. Start by working on your child’s receptive language first, as expressive language will naturally follow once the foundation is strong.

Think of receptive language as the foundation of a fruitful tree. Without a solid base, how can a tree bear fruit? Similarly, a child’s receptive language is the groundwork for developing their understanding and expressive language skills.

To enhance receptive language, seek guidance from therapists and consider therapies like sensory integration therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and ABA therapy. Alongside these, work with your child at home by giving short, clear instructions during daily activities. Gradually, your child will begin to understand and learn, and their expressive language will develop over time.

Patience and consistent effort are key to helping your child grow.

I’ve written several articles on imitation, vocabulary, and concept building. Please read them and apply the techniques at home.

Together, let’s help our children grow and thrive!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)