You may have seen the term "complex communication needs" (CCN) pop up more and more in recent years. CCN is a broad term that describes people with severe speech, language, and communication impairments. This includes those who are able to speak but have difficulty with comprehension or expressing their wants and needs. It also includes those who are not able to speak but can express themselves through gestures and behaviors.
Let's discuss five qualities that would qualify a child as having complex communication needs. If you suspect your child may fall under this category, we encourage you to reach out to a professional (i.e pediatrician, developmental pediatrician, speech language pathologist, neurologist) for more information.
1. Difficulty understanding spoken language
If your child has difficulty understanding spoken language, they may be classified as having complex communication needs. This difficulty can manifest itself in many different ways. For example, your child may have trouble following conversations, struggle to understand instructions, or have difficulty making sense of what they hear on the television or radio. If you've noticed your child having difficulty understanding spoken language, it's important to reach out to a professional for further evaluation.
2. Difficulty expressing wants and needs
Another common symptom of complex communication needs is difficulty expressing wants and needs. This may manifest itself as trouble asking questions or making requests. Your child may also have trouble initiating or sustaining a conversation. If you've noticed your child having difficulty communicating their wants and needs, reach out to a professional for further evaluation.
3. Delayed speech & language development
If your child has delayed speech & language development, they may be classified as having complex communication needs. What does this mean, speech & language? Well let's break this down a bit further.
When a speech language pathologist (SLP) is tells you that your child has a speech disorder this means that the sounds your child is saying a developmentally delayed. If your SLP tell you that your child has a language disorder then this will mean that the way that put words together to form sentences and how the use their language (pragmatics, syntax, morphology etc.) are affected.
A child is able to have simply one or the other as well as a combination of both. A child with CCN will tend to have both speech and language delays/ disorders. However is our autistic population we can see children that have no speech issues but will have a lot of social communication difficulties.
If you suspect your child has delayed speech & language development, reach out to a professional for further evaluation.
4. Limited use of words or sounds
If your child has limited use of words or sounds, they may be classified as having complex communication needs. This means that your child has a small vocabulary and struggles to communicate their wants, needs and commenting using spoken language. They may also use unintelligible sounds or repetitive phrases instead of using words. If you've noticed your child having difficulty communicating using words or sounds, reach out to a professional for further evaluation.
5. Sensory or physical support needs which affect ability to engage in communication
If your child has sensory or physical support needs which affect their ability to engage in communication, they may be classified as having complex communication needs. This means that your child struggles with sensory processing diffculties, physical disabilities, or both—which in turn affects their ability to communicate effectively. If you suspect your child has complex communication needs due to SPD or physical disabilities, reach out to a professional for further evaluation.'
While the term "complex communication needs" (CCN) encompasses a wide range of difficulties, there are some common symptoms that would qualify a child as falling under this category. If you suspect your child may have CCN, we encourage you to reach out to a professional for further evaluation.
By Katherine Wallisch M.S., CCC-SLP, CAS, BCCS
Speech Language Pathologist
AAC & Autism Expert
Parent Empowerment for Special Needs Kids Group
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