Why Does Behavioral Dimensions Teach Gestures?

When planning what skills to teach children, typical BDI treatment plans will include the skills of using conventional gestures to communicate to others and understanding gestures used by others.

Teaching a child to use conventional gestures can be a game changer for a child that has limited ways of communicating. Beginning with basic contact gestures to communicate “yes, I want that”, “nope I don’t want that” and “help me with this” can significantly impact how often a child might get upset or has a meltdown. Gestures used to direct or initiate favorite social activities are also an important part of this early social communication and can include gestures the child uses to say to someone “pick me up”, “tickle me again”, or “swing me again”. Expanding that gestural communication to include holding out a hand to say “I’ll take one of those” or pointing to what they want are more examples of the many types of early social communication that become the foundation for future communication whether it be talking, signing, using pictures, or using an AAC device. BDI does not only teach children to make the movements of gestures but takes special care that the child is directing those gestures to a listener.

Teaching a child who is already talking to use gestures can also lessen upsets and meltdowns by supplementing a child’s spoken language when they may not be able to use their words to say “please don’t do that”, “I don’t want this”, “I need help”. Additionally, teaching a speaking child to use gestures can develop important social communication skills such as approaching a listener, looking at who they are talking to and using gestures to accompany their communication with others.

The skill of recognizing the nonverbal communication or gestures used by other people can be a difficult skill for children with autism and is also a critical skill in the development of real and meaningful social communication. Some of the first gestures we may teach a child to understand directly produces a social interaction: Holding up your hand for a high-five or stretch your arms out for a hug can increase positive social interactions with family which other gestures can build on.

For a child that speaks, recognizing when someone is listening to them or not, recognizing a facial expression that says “sure you can have that” or “don’t touch that” expands their current communication while ensuring that communication is directed towards people.

We often get asked why we don’t teach sign language such as “more” to children that are not speaking. BDI has a long history of teaching gestural communication to children and adults who need those skills to communicate. Using early contact gestures or conventional gestures with the expectation that children find a listener first and then communicate in a way most people will understand has shown to be very beneficial in not only teaching early communication skills but also as a first step to develop meaningful communication that will help them develop meaningful and mutual relationships with their family and other important people in their lives.