I recently stumbled on an excellent blog,
Realsocialskills.org.
In this Blog, Ruti Regan re-interprets the concept of “social skills” as a set of skills we can use to interact with one another in an ethical, respectful manner.
In the post below, Ruti responds to a reader question about how to interact appropriately with a nonspeaking child. The suggestions offered can guide us toward respectful interaction with people of all ages who communicate differently than how we expect-whether through unusual speech, a different spoken language, sign, pictures, or a self-taught method. One of the most important points Ruti makes is that all people have thoughts and feelings worth listening to. When we expect that the person has important things to communicate-and not just needs, but also wants and preferences-communication and mutual respect become much more attainable.
Babysitting a nonspeaking four year old
