Sometimes it can be very difficult to get children with autism to fully engage in communication situations . Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects children in different areas; they may show behavioral difficulties and need the implementation of strict routines to live peacefully. Any change or unforeseen event, no matter how small, can stress the child. Additionally, they may develop compulsive behaviors that they repeat daily . This aspect is exacerbated because it is related to communication and language, both verbal and non-verbal, a factor that key influences their social relationships and emotional well-being .

In general, children with ASD prefer to be alone, this is because they do not understand social guidelines or do not know how to respond to displays of both affection and anger, given their difficulty in empathizing and understanding the actions of other people . Therefore, it is important that from a young age their social communication is encouraged and their relationship with their environment is strengthened.

A good way is to generate communication situations, but how to do it? Here are some tips.

• Non-verbal communication is a bridge for language development:
  While the goal of many parents is to talk, many children can find equally effective ways to communicate nonverbally. In fact, many of these non-verbal communications, such as hand gestures and eye contact, are the building blocks of language . Therefore, it is important to encourage its development as a precursor to speech. Be sure to model these behaviors for your child by exaggerating your own hand gestures and making it easy for your child to copy you. When you want your child to pick up a toy, don't just ask for the toy but point your finger and nod "yes" when he selects the correct one. Clapping, extending your arms, and opening your hands are universally recognized gestures, even a small, non-verbal child can probably interpret.
• Play and social interaction create many opportunities to describe things
  Your child will have many opportunities to learn and interact socially through play. Playing games that your child enjoys , especially those that involve sorting, ordering, and matching, are a great option, as they work on visual and motor skills , as well as communication. Trying to establish the game in these priority games is the beginning and little by little adding variants expanding the possibilities of the game is the most appropriate way to do it and be successful. Anything to get your child to use their hands, like play dough, paint… creates lots of opportunities for them to describe the tactile experience, using gestures at first, and then words. The connection between physical sensations and the obligation to describe the feeling can be very strong. You can even get music by singing or playing toy instruments . When playing with your child, always make sure you are at eye level so your child can easily see and hear you as you play together and learn by watching what you do.
• Imitation games are a way to communicate mutual understanding After establishing the attentional game we have to take one more step towards “copying” what the other does! The great thing about imitation is that it can go both ways, like a conversation! You start by imitating your child, how he sounds and how he plays, to encourage him to do more of both , mirroring is a tool that resonates with our little ones. The “Mirror” itself can give us moments of recognition of ourselves and others and expands the possibility of mutual resonance. Imitation games are as simple as they come: if your child stacks a Lego on his tower, you stack a Lego on top of yours. If your child knocks down the tower, you knock down theirs too!
• Let your child set the pace and the topic that interests them
  It is important for our children to take the lead. It is a way to get closer and connect with them. When we have a baby at home we never think that he will be able to set our pace or follow our interests, so when we have children with interaction difficulties we have to keep in mind that they are governed by the same pattern of establishing interaction in one direction. At the beginning and after a lot of experience they will begin to do it in both directions. Allowing your child to choose the topic and set the pace is a great way to ensure they don't lose focus . Follow along with what your child is already doing and narrate their activity using words. So if your child is sorting shapes, say "square" when holding that shape and "in" when placing that piece in its appropriate basket. This way, you allow your child to focus on what interests him and encourages your child connect the words with your chosen activity. Choosing your words so that your child understands them more easily is a good idea. You may consider talking to your child using only simple words like “take” or “ball” at first. Using a single word makes things very simple for your child to understand and imitate. Then, when your child starts using these words, you can add a word to the phrase, such as “get toy” or “roll the ball.” You can continue to build on the phrases so that they can convey complete ideas in complete sentences.
• Consider the use of assistive devices There are many types of assistive devices available that are designed to help children and adults with ASD who have difficulty communicating , both those who are able to speak and those who are completely non-verbal. It's important to understand that these devices aren't just meant to take the place of speech; They are designed to be a basis for communication as well. Visual supports also help children make requests and share thoughts by touching images that then produce words. There are many devices available, as well as apps that can be downloaded directly to your phone or tablet. For example, the VICON Method is a structured and intensive learning program for children with a visual and musical profile that begins from the essential levels of early development to the last and most complex stages of communication.
• Avoid the impulse to answer for your child and give them space, usually their response latency is slower. Keep in mind that sometimes your child may not respond, or may need more time to respond. And that's fine. You may feel the need to complete sentences, speak answers you're hoping to hear, or answer questions on their behalf when someone else asks, but it's okay to give them the space to respond, even if the answer just isn't coming. Children with ASD need time and space to think and process . And sometimes they won't even respond. But you should still give them the opportunity to respond rather than doing it for them. Wait several seconds after answering a question and look at your child with interest. Listen for any signs of sound or movement . And, if they offer a response of any kind, be sure to react and respond quickly. Providing this type of reinforcement can be the most powerful thing you can do for your child.
• Give importance to the greeting: Something that can help generate communication situations and begin to relate is for the child to get used to saying hello every time someone new comes home, or every time he enters somewhere, both in an informal way. verbal (with the hand) as with some word (hello, good morning). This way, you will be in contact with that other person, and you will also have to say goodbye when you leave.

After repeating these routines daily, the child will carry out these actions on his own and thus increase contact with different people . You will gradually improve in communication and will be more accustomed to spaces for social interaction, becoming familiar with them from home.