A STUDY OF COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS, COMMUNICATION METHODS, RESULTS OF USING COMMUNICATION METHODS, AND PARTICIPATION OF THOSE INVOLVED IN COMMUNICATION METHODS FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, UTTARADIT SPECIAL EDUCATION CENTER, TRON SERVICE UNIT

Abstract

The purposes of this research are to examine 1) communication problems, 2) communication methods, 3) the results of using these communication methods, and 4) the participation of those involved in communication methods for children with special needs. The target group consisted of 14 special education teachers and caregivers of children with special needs from the Uttaradit Special Education Center, Tron Service Unit, selected through purposive sampling. The research instrument was an in-depth interview, and data were analyzed using content analysis of the in-depth interviews.
The findings revealed that children with autism and intellectual disabilities faced significant communication challenges. Some children could verbalize single-syllable words, but most were unable to use spoken language for communication or to express their needs. When teachers and caregivers were unable to understand or respond to their needs, the children exhibited undesirable behaviors such as screaming, head-banging, hitting others, and disrupting learning and development. For children with autism, the teachers and caregivers used various communication methods. These included using picture cards, physical touch, hand guidance, encouraging children to pick up desired objects, using communication boards, repeating verbal explanations, and employing diverse media, symbols, real objects, and real-life situations. For children with intellectual disabilities, the teachers and caregivers used strategies such as picture cards, eye contact, gestures, repeated speech, phones to display images or play sounds, body language, sign language, calling names, encouraging children to pick up desired objects, using real objects and real-life situations, tapping to produce sound, observation, and hand guidance.
These communication methods improved understanding between special education teachers, caregivers, and autistic children. The improvements included better recognition of the children’s needs, quicker responses to their requirements, increased compliance with instructions, enhanced communication development, self-reliance in activities, and improved behavior when expressing needs. For children with intellectual disabilities, the results included better compliance with instructions, participation in daily routines, ability to express needs, improved understanding and expression of language, increased use of words and sentences for communication, and consultations with multidisciplinary professionals who assisted in decisionmaking and teaching these methods to parents for continued practice at home.