Many children with autism begin speaking late, very little, or not at all. One of the issues that children who are nonverbal face is the frustration of having a lot to communicate and no way to verbally express it. Identifying and acquiring an appropriate communication device is just the start. Even with communication systems, children who are nonverbal miss a lot of language opportunities compared to their verbal peers. What can adults do to bridge the gap? It does require learning new skills, but it doesn’t require additional therapy time. A child’s success depends a lot on what happens outside of the therapy room during natural, everyday routines.

Carol A. Page, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, ATP is the Director of the South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) at the USC School of Medicine, a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Center for Disability Resources, Department of Pediatrics. She received her Ph.D. degree in speech-language pathology from the University of South Carolina and her assistive technology professional certification from RESNA. Carol provides training at a local, state, national and international level on assistive technology for persons with disabilities of all ages, their caregivers, and professionals who serve them. Training topics include augmentative and alternative communication, software for reading comprehension and writing, computer access, and various other resources.