Family story · Communication
Sonya’s case - developing communication and first words
Building foundational skills step by step to support receptive and expressive communication while her parents applied an ABA program.
- Format
- ABA training program for the mother in a natural setting
- Period
- Several months; first words after about six months of systematic work
Starting point
At the start, Sonya had a limited range of basic learning and communication skills. The family was especially worried about the lack of functional speech. Rather than trying to “start speech” at any cost, the first task was to assess which basic skills were already present and which were missing.
Skills we worked on
- sustained interaction with an adult
- joint attention
- responding when addressed and to instructions
- understanding simple instructions
- visually discriminating objects and pictures
- matching a word to an object
- functional communication
- expanding vocal and verbal skills
How the work went
Training format for Sonya’s mother
Sonya’s mother used my parent training program and gradually brought ABA strategies into her daughter’s everyday life. She learned to identify the current skill level, phrase instructions, use motivating conditions and reinforcement, give prompts at the right moment and fade them over time.
Natural opportunities to communicate
Special attention went to play, choosing food or toys, looking at pictures, walks, daily routines and interaction with family. First, basic learning responses and understanding became stable; later, her communication skills expanded.
What changed
Sonya learned to tell familiar objects and pictures apart, find them on instruction and show that she understood their names. Later, independent verbal responses appeared: naming familiar objects and animals. The progress from this period was recorded on video, which can only be added with separate consent to publish.
What did not change right away
First words with familiar material in a familiar setting do not yet mean the skill is fully generalized. The parents kept applying what they had learned across different everyday situations and with different stimuli.
Important note
This case describes one family’s individual experience. It is impossible to guarantee that another child will start speaking within a similar period, or to claim the program was the only factor in development. Results depend on the starting repertoire, individual characteristics, the intensity and quality of learning, consistency, family involvement and, where needed, the work of other specialists. The program does not replace medical, speech therapy or other specialized care.
