Functional communication is a common term used within the speech pathology field. It refers to the ability of an individual to express their needs, wants, feelings and preferences in a way that others can understand them.
Effective functional communication supports individuals to participate effectively and meaningfully in all aspects of their daily life. When functional communication is learnt and implemented it can help to reduce distress, frustration, and challenging behaviours such as crying, fussing, grabbing or pushing away.
Speech pathologists recognise that behaviour is communication. If the individual does not have a functional way to communicate their wants and needs, they may demonstrate challenging behaviour. By teaching functional communication, we can create strategies and communication that will accomplish the same goal as the challenging behaviour.
What Functional communication looks like:
Functional communication goes beyond words and encompasses all modalities of communication, such as pointing, gesturing, signing, writing and pictures.
Examples of functional communication include:
- Pointing to a preferred item
- Asking for more
- Signing for the toilet
- Giving a thumbs up to indicate satisfaction
- Telling someone that you are too hot or cold, hungry, in pain, tired, etc.
Protesting and rejecting something also serves a function and are part of functional communication. This may look like:
- Saying no
- Shaking head
- Turning away
- Putting an item away
- Signing ‘I don’t like it’
- Pressing ‘stop’ on an AAC device
What Functional Communication Doesn’t Look Like:
Not all words that a person learns are part of functional communication. For example, the names of colours, days of the week, names of objects, letter and number names are not considered part of functional communication, because these are labels and usually do not indicate a need or serve a function.
For example, an individual may know the word ‘dog’ and use this however it can be difficult to understand what this means: Did they see a dog? Are they talking about a dog book? Did a dog hurt them? Did they pat a dog earlier today? When you are unable to interpret ‘dog’ correctly this can lead to frustration communication breakdowns. Functional communication skills work to repair and prevent these breakdowns.
Who may benefit from therapy targeting Functional Communication?
Functional communication is a key focus in speech pathology particularly in early language development, in individuals with ASD, and those with complex neurological or cognitive disorders. Speech pathologists work with clients and their families to understand the communication needs of each individual and tailor functional communication therapy goals to around those needs. The ultimate goal is to empower individuals and their families to communicate successfully in various environments, fostering independence and social participation.
If you notice your child or client has difficulty with functional communication, contact Optimum Health Solutions for support.
References:
Reviewed by Gayle Rogers
BAppSc (Speech Pathology), GradCertBA
Head of Clincal Development (Speech Pathology)
With over 13 years of experience across Australia and the United Kingdom, Gayle has extensive experience working with participants with AAC and complex communication needs.
