Teaching Child Communication Skills

I have a new student who has extremely limited communication skills and many challenging behaviors. He can imitate some sounds and words but does not use them functionally. He will hit, scream, or scratch to get something he wants or to get out of something that he doesn’t want to do. Also, when he wants something he will just go and get it on his own. His parents report the same behaviors at home and that they often give him whatever he wants just to stop the screaming.

I have some students in my kindergarten classroom diagnosed with autism. They don’t seem to know the names of their classmates, or really talk to many of the other children. Is there something I could do to increase interactions with their classmates?

My child has a very difficult time going to family-style restaurants. In particular, he has difficulty sitting and waiting quietly, eating neatly, and interacting with the waiter or waitress. How can I help my child learn to be more appropriate in this setting?

I have a student who uses a communication book. At times he will just point to an item on the snack table instead of using his book in response to a question. Sometimes he will indicate yes or no with a headshake instead of using his book. We keep prompting but then he becomes frustrated and displays other behaviors such as throwing materials or yelling. How can we increase his communication book usage?

I have a student who tends to make comments to classmates and teachers that result in hurt feelings, confusion, and ultimately avoidance (i.e. “Your shirt is ugly”, “This is stupid”, etc.) He seems to want to make friends and be liked by his teachers and classmates but these comments are really bothering the people around him. How can I help this student understand how his behavior affects others?

I’m a special education teacher and a few of my 5th grade students are getting nervous about moving to the Middle School in the fall.  We always visit the new school towards the end of the year, but I don’t think it’s enough to calm their anxiety.  Any ideas to help make the transition smoother?

My son is non-verbal.  Recently he has begun screaming.  This is not out of anger, but to hear his own voice.  It is quite loud and can be very distracting at home to his siblings and out  in public.  I don’t want to discourage his trying to communicate, so am not sure how to handle it.

I would like to help my 3 year old son to communicate better. He’s very smart and can do just about anything on a computer. When I ask him questions he seems to understand, but sometimes he just repeats what I ask him. What are some ways to teach him how to communicate better? What can I do to help?

The students in my Life Skills class need more practice with social skills, but they always seem to clam up in those unstructured times like lunch and in between classes.  Is there something I can do to help them have more opportunities to interact?

I have a student on the Spectrum who will not follow directions to come in from recess when it is over. During recess he is monitored by my classroom paraprofessional. He will run and say ‘no’ when it is time to come in while the other students and adults leave the playground, resulting in my paraprofessional being alone with him. There are instances when he has become aggressive, making this an unsafe situation. Although he is verbal, he typically communicates with short phrases; most often only to make requests. What may I do to prompt him to come inside without causing his behaviors to escalate, keeping in mind that I am not typically there to assist?