Total communication is used to help children with hearing loss. It is also used for children who have special needs, such as those who suffer from autism or learning difficulties which hinder optimal communication. Autistic children may have mild to profound communication difficulties, which can be addressed by total communication. Children who suffer brain injury at birth or childhood may have long-lasting communication difficulties, also benefit by total communication.
Total Communication uses both seeing and hearing to enable communication in children with special needs. It uses a multi-pronged approach to achieve its goal. In order to communicate with others, the child is taught sign language, encouraged to talk and get across her message with appropriate gestures and body language. To be able to understand others, the child is encouraged to utilize her residual hearing. Sign language and reading lips also help. Cued speech is a tool that helps a person with hearing loss understand others. Cued speech is a system of special handshakes and positions used when a person speaks.
Total Communication focuses on teaching a language to the children they can "see," rather than hear. "Seeing" language may be the American Sign Language (ASL) or cued speech. ASL uses hand movements, facial expressions and body postures to communicate. ASL is different from English and has its own system of meanings. Cued speech uses hand shapes that stand for different sounds in the English language. There are eight different hand shapes that go in four places around the face. The person understands cued speech by looking at the hand shapes, where it is placed and by reading the speaker's lips.
Total Communication uses a variety of methods to help children with impaired hearing ability communicate. Parents and children have the option to choose the method that will benefit the children most. They may even use a combination of techniques to communicate effectively in a particular situation. Research has shown Total Communication to have beneficial effects on such areas of development in deaf children as psychological, linguistic and academic.