Difficulties in learning language are a common problem in children with Asperger Syndrome (AS). On the occasion of the anniversary of International Asperger Syndrome Day, we dedicate a special post on the blog with tips and games that help us stimulate language in cases with AS.

What language difficulties do children with Asperger Syndrome have?

Interest patterns in children with AS are also different in communication and how they use language to express themselves. For example, they may extend themselves by repeating only one topic, talk for a long time or have long moments of silence and absence, in which they do not react to what is demanded of them from their environment.

In terms of expression, although some children with AS speak normally, some cases may adopt strange tones or rhythms. For example, in some cases the child may speak very slowly or very quickly.

Finally, we can also find cases of children with AS who have not developed language, that is, non-verbal cases. In all of them, the difficulty of language or its absence causes frustration in the child and also in their family. This is a cause/consequence effect: on many occasions his environment is not able to understand what he means, which in turn leads to the child's own frustration.

How to stimulate the language of a child with AS?

In these cases we must help the child understand what we express with language and communication and what we express verbally is not always what it literally means. Below, we offer you some tips to guide the communication skills of the child with AS towards more fluid communication with their environment.

1. Address the child clearly: it is important to adopt a clear and crisp tone of voice, so that the child can understand our sentences. It also helps to adopt a normal pace, neither too slow nor too fast.
2. Respect silences: on many occasions we tend to mark silences in conversations as uncomfortable moments. In our children with AS, these moments of silence can mean that he is looking for an exact answer to our question, since he ignores that not all questions need a specific answer.
3. Show him how to apply resource phrases during silences: Give him resources to use during those silences to reduce awkwardness in the conversation. For example, phrases like “I don't know” or “I'm thinking.”

Games to work on language in Asperger's Syndrome

As we always say in the VICON Method, the main quality that we need for language to be stimulated in the child is to make it fun, play with it and take that path in the most playful way possible. It is important to put aside rigidity and everything strict and turn the process into something fun and exciting; That will lead us to better results.

1. Pass the ball: this is a fun game that we can easily adopt at home and as a family. We can stand in a circle, establish a theme (such as “Kitchen Things”) and pass the ball to each other. Every time we get the ball we will have to say a word related to the topic in question. We can also play by singing VICON Method songs to work on the concepts we are working on at that moment.
2. Sing the Method songs: take advantage of the most playful moments, such as weekends, to organize karaoke at home and sing all the VICON Method songs. It is ideal for internalizing concepts and spending fun moments with the family.
3. Read stories aloud: Reading aloud helps work on learned concepts and model the rhythm of the child's language.
4. Practice Self Modeling: recording the child while using the VICON Method and seeing himself will help enhance his evolution in the cognitive development of language.