Communication Temptations

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can have difficulty using language and initiating spontaneous communication. Adults or others supporting student communication can use communication temptations, at school or home, by anticipating student needs and tempting students to express them. They provide students with reasons to communicate, encourage initiation, and increase opportunities to engage socially.

If students do not yet use language to communicate, this strategy can be used to help expand their non-verbal communication (e.g., gestures, facial expressions, etc.), foster their use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) such as TouchChat, communication boards, signing, or Picture Communication Exchange System (PECS), as well as help promote oral language.

If students already talk and initiate communication, then they can benefit from practice with new vocabulary, combining words together, communicating for different reasons, or trying out different grammatical elements.

In this module, you will learn:

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•   What communication temptations are

•   Why communication temptations can be beneficial to implement with students with ASD

•   What the research says about communication temptations

•   What to do prior to implementing communication temptations

•   Steps to implement communication temptation

•   Examples of communication temptations