Playing to learn: Learning to TALK

'We love the fact she can learn through play, because she is learning but not realizing, and she does not feel pressurized to learn' (parent of a child with neurodiverse developmental disorders [NDD]). Engaging children with NDD in meaningful learning can be challenging, and that challenge is exacerbated when children are neither motivated nor equipped with the skills to facilitate engagement. Communication barriers hinder learning, and children with NDD need extra support to develop language skills. This action research promoted communication competence through structured interventions, consolidated via play. The findings confirmed that progression in spontaneous communication and interaction interrelates with creative play. An innovative structured teaching approach, including video-modeling, was devised and named total augmented language and key skills (TALKS). This research affirms that changing the learning environment by employing an integrated teaching model involving connectivity and adopting TALKS. enhances a whole-school approach to communication competence for children with NDD.