Honoring Multimodal Communication
For the longest time, I thought of multimodal communication as a hierarchy. I was under the (false) impression that speech was at the tippy top of the hierarchy and was the ultimate goal for successful communication. Sure, there are lots of modalities for communication, but isn’t speech the most optimal?
No, it’s not. Not really. Not in my opinion as a child-led speech therapist supporting autistic kids, at least.
In my opinion, the most optimal form of communication is the one that is most reliable. Plain and simple. It’s the one that allows the individual to express whatever they want to say, whenever they want to say it, to whomever, wherever they are. And for many autistic individuals, that may not be speech alone.
It might be a surprise to you, but speech is actually one of, if not the most complex fine motor skills we utilize as humans. It requires complex motor planning and for many autistic individuals, it can be unreliable.
As child-led and neuroaffirming providers, we need to consider reliability when we think about optimal communication for our autistic learners. We want to encourage our autistic kids to communicate in whatever way they feel most comfortable. In whatever way is the most accessible.
Speech may be the most conventional way to communicate, but if it is not always accessible, our kids need to be encouraged to use multimodal communication.
Multimodal communication is about using every tool in the toolbox, not just speech. It’s the blend of gestures, facial expressions, written words, signs, AAC (augmentative and alternative communication), and so much more. It’s recognizing that the most optimal form of communication is simply the one that reliably gets a message across, no matter which modality is used.
Whenever I share my thoughts on multimodal communication, I am met with people who will say things like, “Well, in the real world, hand leading isn’t going to work so we need to teach kids to use their words.” And while these commenters usually have good intentions, I think the point of multimodal communication is being missed.
The point is not to discourage or ignore speech! Instead, it’s about supplying our autistic learners with access to robust communication in the form of whichever modalities they feel most confident, competent, and comfortable with.
Here are four ways to ensure that you are encouraging communication without prioritizing speech only:
Reliability Over Convention:
The best mode of communication is the one that works for the individual. It’s not about fitting a conventional standard; it’s about finding what reliably lets them share their thoughts, feelings, and needs.Honor Every Modality:
Speech is important, but it’s only one part of a much larger picture. Validate and support every method a child uses to communicate—be it actions, AAC, gestures, etc.Follow the Child’s Lead:
As a child-led provider, I believe in letting kids lead the way. Their comfort and confidence grow when they are free to express themselves in the way that suits them best. I also believe that kids will choose the most efficient way to communicate from moment to moment, and sometimes pointing is going to be more accessible than speech, and that’s okay.Challenge the “Real World” Myths:
In the real world, I use facial expressions to express my mood to my husband. I point to things I want my own kids to grab for me. I text my friends. None of us use speech alone. And while I agree that we should be supporting continued development of language and communication in our autistic learners, we don’t make progress by pressuring speech. It just doesn’t work like that. The best way to both honor our learners now AND prepare them for their future is to follow their lead, model language, and encourage multimodal communication.
Download our free visual to hang in your office, home, or community as a reminder to all that multimodal communication is not a hierarchy! One modality is not better than another.
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