Special needs students are often far more capable of understanding and learning much more advanced than what they are capable of communicating. Just because a child is not speaking or expressing thoughts or ideas does not mean they do not have them. Some of this may be due to actual physical or mental limitations with speech or expression, and some of it may be due to shyness or uncertainty. In a few cases, the student may not actually be aware that you want them to express everything they think or feel.
It is important to foster open communication with special needs students in order to bring out their thoughts and feelings. One way to accomplish this is to discuss your own. Develop a relationship with the student where you can tell them if you have a headache, if you are excited about your weekend plans or if you are worried about your sick puppy. When you are open with you own life, thoughts about life and personal feelings the student will understand that this is the kind of relationship you have.
Asking questions about their everyday life can open them up and allow you to better access their cognitive skills and learning capabilities. You have to be able to see where a student is now to judge where they might be able to go in the future. It is important to read between the lines to understand what they are not saying that may indicate their level of understanding. Try to identify the thought process that got them to a particular conclusion so that you can see how well they are using the power of deduction.
Speech therapy can be helpful in correcting problems directly related to speech that inhibit a student’s ability to communicate. Speech can often be the missing piece in the puzzle for a student’s educational needs.