🗣️ Communication Passport
How this child communicates, what overwhelms them, and what to do when they cannot find the words — one page for anyone who is not you.
How to use it at home
- Fill it in with your child if they can. Their wording is better than yours for “what to do when I am stuck”.
- Print two copies: one in the school bag, one on the fridge at home so grandparents see the same page.
- Keep sentences short. A stranger will read this in thirty seconds, not in a meeting.
- Update after a change — a new device, a new fear, a new sign.
A quick preview — here’s what you’ll print:
One page for any adult who is not you. Short sentences. Update when something changes.
| How I communicate | |
|---|---|
| My name: ______________________ I like to be called: ______________ | |
| I say yes by: ________________________________________________ | |
| I say no by: _________________________________________________ | |
| When I do not understand, I: _________________________________ | |
| Please wait this long after you ask me something: _____________ | |
| Words / sounds / touch I cannot bear: ________________________ | |
| What helps me calm down: ____________________________________ | |
| If I run, hide or freeze, please: ____________________________ | |
| Who to call: ________________________________________________ |
| Please do / please don’t | Write here |
|---|---|
| Speak in short sentences and wait | ☐ |
| Show me as well as tell me | ☐ |
| Let me use my card / device / gesture | ☐ |
| Do not hold my hands still or force eye contact | ☐ |
| Do not surprise me with a loud noise or a sudden change | ☐ |
- Fill it in with your child if they can. Their wording is better than yours for “what to do when I am stuck”.
- Print two copies: one in the school bag, one on the fridge at home so grandparents see the same page.
- Keep sentences short. A stranger will read this in thirty seconds, not in a meeting.
- Update after a change — a new device, a new fear, a new sign.
Why this helps
The people who struggle most with your child are usually not unkind. They have not been told how this child says no, what a meltdown looks like two minutes before it arrives, or that “look at me when I am talking” is the wrong ask. A passport is that briefing. It travels to school, to khala’s house, and into a hospital waiting room.
For a child who is non-verbal or whose speech is hard to follow, this page is not optional. It stops strangers talking over them, grabbing their hands, or deciding they “understand everything” because they are quiet. See helping a non-verbal child communicate and friendships for autistic teens.
It is not a diagnosis document and it is not an IEP. It is the one page that makes the next adult less dangerous and more useful.
Tips for using it well
- Do write how they say yes and no — word, nod, card, device.
- Don’t fill it with jargon. “Needs processing time” means “wait five seconds after you ask”. Write the second version.
- Do say what noise, touch or light does, if that is part of the picture. See ADHD overstimulation.
- Do put an emergency contact that answers.
Common questions
Is this only for non-verbal children?
No. Plenty of children have lots of words and still cannot use them when they are overwhelmed, in a new room, or with a stranger. A passport is for anyone whose communication changes under load.
Should this go on the classroom wall?
Usually no. It has a phone number and private detail. Keep it in the teacher’s file and in the bag. A short “how I ask for help” card on the desk is enough for the class to see.
Written by the Inclusive Developmental and Therapy Center therapy team — our Speech & Language Therapist, psychology and ABA staff. This page is awaiting its clinical review.
Want help using these with your child?
A short, friendly conversation is the best first step. Call, text or WhatsApp us — we’ll listen and guide you, with no pressure.
MPS Road, Block A Model Town, Multan (near Bloomfield Hall School, Street No. 2) · Mon–Fri, 2 PM – 6 PM