Communication book and communication: tools for home-school tracking
The communication book is an essential tool to ensure continuity of support between the child's different living environments. Particularly useful for children with specific needs (ASD, language disorders, disability), it allows sharing important information, progress and strategies that work.
Why a communication book?
For children with communication difficulties, the communication book serves several essential functions:
- Continuity: effective strategies are shared among all caregivers
- Communication for the child: the child can "tell" about their day even if they cannot do so verbally
- Progress tracking: observing development over time
- Coordination: synchronizing approaches between school, home, therapists
- Trust relationship: creating a bond between different partners
Types of books according to needs
| Type | For whom | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Illustrated book/pictograms | Non-verbal or minimally verbal children | Photos, pictograms of activities, emotions, events |
| Behavior book | Children with behavioral difficulties | Mood scale, positive behaviors, incidents, triggers |
| Speech therapy book | Children receiving speech therapy | Objectives worked on, exercises to do, observed progress |
| Health/nutrition book | Children with medical or eating disorders | Meals, sleep, medications, symptoms |
Content of an effective book
Daily information
- Mood/general state: how was the child today?
- Activities: what was done (photos, pictograms)
- Successes: what worked well
- Difficulties: problems encountered and how they were handled
- Eating/sleeping: if relevant
Information to share
- Special events: outing, birthday, routine change
- Effective strategies: what worked to calm, motivate, communicate
- Important messages: appointments, requests, questions
💡 Practical tips
- Keep the book simple and quick to fill out (2-3 minutes)
- Use checkboxes and scales rather than free text
- Include pictograms or photos so the child can "read" their book
- Always note at least one positive element
- Define who fills out what and when
Adapting the book to the child
For a non-verbal child (ASD, disability)
The book becomes a communication tool for the child themselves. With photos or pictograms of their day, they can "tell" what they did to their parents even without speaking. This also promotes language and memory development.
For a child with behavioral disorders
A positive scoring system (stars, green points) values expected behaviors. Avoid focusing only on problems. The book should not become a "punishment notebook".
For a child with language difficulties
The book allows working on functional communication: the child shows images to talk about their day, answer parents' questions, share their emotions.
Our downloadable tools
📒 Illustrated communication book
Pages with pictograms to note activities, mood, eating. Adapted for non-verbal children. A5 format.
Download📋 School-home communication sheets
Daily checkable sheets: mood, activities, meals, nap, incidents. Simple and quick to fill out.
Download⭐ Positive tracking chart
System for valorizing positive behaviors. Points, stars, rewards to motivate.
Download🌡️ Daily mood scale
Visual support for the child to indicate their emotional state each day. Promotes emotional expression.
DownloadFrequently asked questions
All caregivers can contribute: parents, teacher, AESH, childminder, speech therapist... The ideal is to clearly define who notes what and when, so the book is regularly filled out without overloading anyone.
Ideally daily for children with significant needs. This can be reduced later when communication is well established. The essential thing is regularity: a book filled out episodically loses its usefulness.
Yes, but with nuance. Describe factually what happened and what was put in place, without judgment. Always balance with positive points. The book should not be a catalog of problems but a comprehensive and constructive tracking tool.
📒 Ready to set up a communication book?
Discover all tools →DYNSEO - December 2024
