Facilitating Communication in Nonverbal Students with Autism

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The definitions of "nonverbal" vary. Some children under this label have zero speech sounds while others have a handful of words they use to express very basic needs (toileting, food, protest, etc.). Others still are labeled nonverbal because they have 1-2 word phrases only and are unable to engage in more complex communication.

To the left is the story of Portia Iverson whose son, Dov, is nonverbal and has Autism. Portia sought out the assistance of a woman named Soma who had been applying a method of teaching with her own nonverbal son with Autism, Tito. Controversy surrounds facilitated communication in nonverbal students with Autism. There have been several cases where the Facilitator was actually doing the "communicating" and the words and thoughts that parents thought were coming from their children were actually coming from the adult helping them. Whether or not the Facilitator was doing this consciously or subconsciously, it raised a lot of questions regarding techniques like Soma's. Regardless, when my parents were fighting their school district for more services for my brother, Josh, a Soma Session was one of the strongest points in their case. Joshua was able to communicate personal information via receptive labeling of responses. The video documentation negated the district's assessment of my brother which had labeled him mentally retarded and ineligible for certain services.

Portia Iversen and her husband founded Autism Speaks (formerly Cure Autism Now) which finds ways to help fund Autism research.

Soma's method for working with nonverbal children with Autism is centered on joint attention to stimuli. It does not focus on behavior and the teaching/communication process goes on between Soma and her student despite behaviors that the student might be engaging in.

My brother met with Soma when he was 6 years old and his only methods of communication were yelling, biting, hitting and banging his head against the wall. It was our first step toward getting to where we are now with Joshua's AAC device.