How to teach a child who is non-verbal and cognitively delayed to read.

What I love most about education is that there is no right formula to teach or learn anything. There is no perfect curriculum, no perfect tool, no perfect teacher.
You should be encouraged by this knowledge as a parent of a child with special needs because this means that you can be as creative as you want in order to meet your child’s needs. Due to this child-specific type of teaching, you can expect true results.

When it comes to reading, you might think it may never be possible for your child to one day pick up a novel and read leisurely for hours. For some children, this may indeed be true. However, this does not mean that literacy is to be completely scratched off your lesson plans. Instead, you have an obligation to expose your child to the experiences that are necessary for his life-long success. It’s through this exposure that doors open, the mind expands, and brain connections are made.
Once new brain connections are made (known as “synaptic pruning”), there is no knowing the limit of your child’s learning abilities
(see more on neuroplasticity in the resources below). He may indeed one day pick up that novel and read.
You cannot fully know the extent to which your child will be able to read; therefore, you cannot limit him – even if today you think it’s impossible.
This isn’t about being hopeful and unrealistic. It’s about being a teacher.

• How do you teach a child who is non-verbal to read?
• How do you teach a child who is cognitively delayed to understand words and texts?

The answer, as with everything else, is that you begin right where he is. Then, through intensive instruction that meets his learning style, you can get him to the next stage.

Questions to begin the journey to teaching reading (or any concept):

• What is my child able to do? What does he enjoy doing?
• Are there characters/ brands that he loves? (ex: Disney characters? Dolls? Cars? Other?)
• What are his challenges?
• What is his learning style/ dominant intelligence?

As an example, we’ll look at the concept of reading with regards to my son, who is both non-verbal and cognitively delayed. Since he cannot tell me what he’s thinking, I keenly observe his pre-reading behaviors.

What is he able to do reading-wise? What does he enjoy doing reading-wise?	sits to “read” with an adult and enjoys familiar stories enjoys perusing books on his own (esp. board books) holds/ turns book right-side up looks at pictures in books (books with real photos hold his attention) anticipates parts in a story he has heard several times (ex: repetitive phrases) enjoys finger-plays, chants/ rhymes, repetitive books, audio stories, storytelling, ASL signs selects books to read when we ask, “Which one?” uses pictures as clues to which book he wants (ex: knows that Jack and the Beanstalk is the book with the green plants and the man on the front cover) understands a story is coming from the use of the words “One day” or “Once upon a time” when storytelling (without a book) – he stops what he’s doing, smiles and comes closer
Which characters/brands does he respond to most?	Signing Time™ characters are his favorite characters from Kids
What are his challenges reading-wise?	staying with a book for an extended amount of time (can sit for 3-4 minutes, but then looks for a new book or another activity) turning the pages on his own (best with board books) holding the book with both hands not sure that he understands that the black marks on a page are words that tell the story or hold meaning does not yet know letter names or symbols
What is his learning style? Dominant Intelligence?	Tactile/ kinesthetic learning style Musical + interpersonal intelligence

Where to go next?

First, I acknowledge all that he is already able to do. (That’s quite an extensive list!) These are all prerequisites to reading, even if it doesn’t seem like true reading just yet. These behaviors demonstrate critically important skills that are required to get him to the next stage.
                                    

Skills to acquire	Strategies for getting there
staying with book for an extended amount of time when “reading” with adult	begin with the maximum amount of time he is able to sit to listen to a story (average in a week), slowly increase the time by a minute each week (until average time it takes to complete the reading of a book) allow him to listen for part of the story, then go off and play for the rest while adult continues telling/reading the story use books that maintain his attention for longer (ie: Signing Time™ board books)
holding book with both hands + turning pages	practice holding toys, scarves/ fabric and other tools with both hands throughout the day using board book, show hand-over-hand how to hold the book with one hand and flip with the other
understand that text on page are words	point to words when adult reads aloud (demonstrating L to R direction) use big books so that letters are large enough to notice

Just because your child cannot speak or read aloud, does not mean that he cannot learn to read.

The same is true for a child with cognitive delays. Meet your child where he’s at, plan the activities accordingly and you before you know it, you will find yourself checking-off the acquired skills on the list!