THE TWO FACETS OF COMMUNICATION:
RECEPTIVE AND EXPRESSIVE

Triveni Goswami Vernal
(Registered Special Educator: A64010)

Communication is the ability to not only understand and interpret incoming information but also convey thoughts, opinions and emotions, to others. The former is termed as Receptive Communication, whereas, the latter refers to Expressive Communication.

While a lot of emphasis is usually laid on developing Expressive Communication, an equal emphasis should also be placed on Receptive Communication, as without it, individuals would find it challenging to make sense of the world around them. Let us learn a bit more about what each of them, entails.

a) RECEPTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS: They are some of the first skills to develop in an individual and include skills like Listening, Reading, Interpreting information/gestures/social cues.  Receptive Communication plays a crucial role in following directions, comprehending the information and the context in which the information is used, understanding social and non-verbal cues and developing the foundation for Expressive Communication.

b) EXPRESSIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS: They refer to the abilities that help an individual to communicate his or her thoughts, ideas, opinions, emotions etc., to others.  Expressive Communication can take place in a multitude of ways—writing, speech, through gestures, facial expressions, non-verbal communication, sign language, use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)devices etc.

Accessed from the website: https://charlottespeechhearing.com/receptive-language/

Individuals who are on the Autism spectrum, may experience numerous challenges with both Receptive and Expressive Communication skills.

The next blog will look at the kind of activities that can be done with an individual to work on their Receptive and Expressive Communication skills.

REFERENCES:
https://charlottespeechhearing.com/receptive-language/

https://therapyworks.com/blog/language-development/home-tips/expressive-vs-receptive-language/

https://childdevelopment.com.au/areas-of-concern/using-speech/expressive-language-using-words-and-language/

https://www.nationaldb.org/media/doc/ReceptiveExpressiveCommunication_Wjlpsmp.pdf


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