Triveni Goswami Vernal
(Registered Special Educator: A64010)

In the previous blog, I had shed light on the distinction between Speech, Language and Communication. Regardless of the fact, whether a child/individual can speak, is an unreliable speaker or is completely non-speaking, the focus of communication should include both the components of Expressive & Receptive Language.

SO, WHAT IS EXPRESSIVE AND RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE?
EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE: To put it simply, Expressive Language refers to the way in which an individual expresses his/her thoughts, emotions, feelings and needs. This can take place via speech/sign language or other Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) devices.

RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE: In contrast, Receptive Language refers to the ability to understand and comprehend, when one is spoken to/when reading /following instructions etc.
So, both Expressive as well as Receptive Language, go hand in hand, for communication and both are equally important.

A lot of communication that parents work on, is Expressive Language. It involves teaching the child to speak, or gesticulate/sign, use PECS or other AAC Devices (like the Avaz app, Jellow app, or other letterboard forms of communication like RPM or S2C), to help the child to communicate their basic needs, emotions, thoughts etc.
But what often gets lost in all of this, is the need to work on Receptive Language. This component of communication involves the ability to listen and process the incoming information (Auditory inputs), read and process the Visual inputs, interpret and assign meaning to the inputs, ability to follow instructions etc.
There are a lot of activities that can be done to work on and build the Receptive Language skills in an individual. They include, activities pertaining to,
a) Auditory Processing
b) Auditory Memory
c) Auditory Sequential Memory
d) Visual Discrimination
e) Visual Memory
f) Ability to Visualize
g) Inferential Thinking Skills etc

In my next blog, I will write about the components and activities to work on the Receptive Language skills, in an individual.
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Author Triveni Goswami Vernal

Triveni Goswami Vernal is an Autism advocate, registered Special Educator (CRR A64010) and an Independent Researcher. Her areas of interest include Autism, Disability Rights, Gender, Art and Northeast studies. She is a mum to an 12 year old on the Autism Spectrum.