Using Nonverbal Cues to Help Your Young Child

Using nonverbal communication strategies with young children (ages 6 months- approximately 8 years) can greatly help them in a variety of different settings. Children process information and instructions differently and more slowly than adults. Often, we have expectations of them that are inappropriate to their age, or even developmental age (which may be different from actual age). Many issues regarding behavior and communication are related, and often undesired behavior is the result of a lack of effective communication from adult to child. It can also result from a child's processing speed or style. Misunderstanding, or a general lack of understanding, can be misconstrued as misbehavior or defiance, when quite possibly the child just does not understand, or has not processed the information correctly.

Nonverbal communication strategies are used in every day life, by adults and children alike. Nonverbal strategies include hand and body gestures, sign language, picture cuing, visual cues (light flashing, hand gestures, etc.), as well as other "nonverbal" auditory cues (like singing, clapping, etc.). We all process information differently. Some of us process best by listening to directions, whereas some process best by reading directions. Some also process best by practicing something (hands on), and some process best by watching someone else perform an activity. We are all different, and therefore the way information is presented to us can not be universal or generic. Information should be presented in a variety of different ways, or via multiple modalities. If my husband presents me with verbal directions of how to get somewhere via car, by the third "turn left", I have already stopped processing effectively, and my likelihood of getting to the destination is scarce. However, if he gives me a map, I am much more likely to get there. For me, it is all a matter of modality (visual versus verbal).

Young children do well with having pictures and routine incorporated into their daily structure. Using things like picture schedules (a vertical board with clipart or photo images that explain the schedule of the day), "first-then" charts (show a picture of what will happen first, followed by a picture of what will happen next), and basic pictures used to communicate (by both adult to show choices, activities, etc., as well as by children to express their choices), help children process and express information with greater clarity and speed. The use of pairing nonverbal communication strategies with verbal communication reinforces the verbal, and allows the child to be more successful. The teacher who had great experience and knowledge of this idea of multidisciplinary learning will attempt to make a transition in the classroom by shutting off the lights, saying "freeze", and ringing a bell at the same time. He/she knows that providing a variety of different cues, possibly paired with a "first-then" or regular picture schedule, will reach the children on a variety of different levels.

Many of us do this in our daily lives without even being aware of the impact it has on children and even adults. We "talk with our hands", point to objects, or hum a certain song while completing a task. This is all a part of nonverbal communication strategies. The next time your child (or significant other) responds incorrectly to the instructions you give, try presenting it different means. Offer a visual, a gesture, or provide hands on instructions, etc. You may be surprised with the results!