Getting The Words Out

Posted by Ashley, Special Educator

Why this title for our blog?

It seems fitting to begin our posts with an explanation of our title, as it lays the groundwork for all that follows.  This phrase was chosen because we feel that it encompasses who we are as professionals, the work we do, the needs of our learners, and the ultimate goal of this blog.  The meaning behind this phrase is multi-faceted, so let’s start from the beginning.

Our initial inspiration was drawn from this famous quotation from Temple Grandin, an adult with autism:

“I can remember the frustration of not being able to talk.  I knew what I wanted to say, but I could not get the words out, so I would just scream…"

In this quotation, Temple Grandin is referring to her experience as a child who was once non-verbal.  When she refers to getting the words out, she means this very literally: verbal communication using words.

As professionals working in Early Intervention, building functional and socially-adaptive communication skills is one of our most important goals.  What this communication looks like (i.e. the topography) may be different for different children, or at different times.  In Temple Grandin’s case, her words were verbalizations (i.e. spoken words).  For other individuals, words may take the form of signs, gestures, pictures/icons, or communication devices.  It is crucial that from an early age, all children are provided with a system of communication.  We must all have a means of expressing our wants and needs to those around us.  Imagine the frustration you might feel if you could not communicate with others.  What if you could not tell someone that you were sick?  Or hungry?  Or tired?  What if you could not ask for a glass of water?  Or request to be left alone?  For most of us, this would result in the feelings of frustration expressed by Temple Grandin.  This is a reality for many of our young learners, yet many professionals wonder why those same children display interfering behaviors (e.g. tantrums, crying, hitting, etc.).  Of course they do!  Many interfering behaviors are rooted in impaired adaptive communication skills.  By teaching children different ways of communicating, it is likely that we will also reduce interfering behavior.  When children are taught functional communication skills (and that communication is consistently reinforced), they are less likely to engage in interfering behavior.  This results in improved quality of life for the child and his/her family, as well as greater availability for learning in all other areas.  For those reasons, getting the words out, in any form, is one of our first and most important goals for our children.

In addition to the meaning this phrase has for our students, it also bears meaning for us as professionals.  We are currently colleagues in an Applied Behavior Analysis/Verbal Behavior Early Intervention Program.  We are part of a multi-disciplinary team, including Special Educators, Speech and Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, and Board Certified Behavior Analysts.  We strongly believe that this model represents best practice for young children with special needs, and have chosen to bring this same multi-disciplinary model to our blog. 

As professionals from different backgrounds, with varying experiences and education, we find ourselves in constant collaboration.  Each member of our team brings a unique perspective to our work, and has a unique skill set to offer our students.  We best serve our learners when we, along with the families, come together as a team.  Two heads are better than one, and six heads are even better!  In our work together, we have seen first-hand how multi-disciplinary collaboration benefits everyone.  As a result of our constant teamwork, many intriguing discussions have begun—discussions that make us each think differently, work differently, and strive to improve.  We have found that our discussions push us outside of our comfort zones and drive us to become stronger and more comprehensive educators.  Many wonderful things have happened for both us and our students by just getting the words out—by sharing a thought, discussing a problem, mentioning a successful strategy, or posing a question.  This has often been the first step in starting something wonderful.

Our purpose in creating this blog is to extend these discussions to other professionals, individuals, and families affected by autism.  Our conversations have benefitted each of us, and we hope that sharing them will benefit others.  This is a forum for us to get our words out, and is a place where we urge our readers to do the same.  We do not claim to have all the answers, but we are committed to the search.  Please join us in our journey.

Go ahead, get the words out…