Giving Every Child a Voice

Communication is the foundation of everything. At Licini Inc., we use every available tool to help non-verbal and minimally verbal children express their wants, needs, and ideas — because every child deserves to be heard.

Our Foundation

Communication first, always

For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, communication challenges are often the single greatest barrier to learning, connection, and independence. Problem behaviors are frequently a child's only way of communicating an unmet need — which is why ABA therapy at Licini Inc. always begins with communication.

We use Functional Communication Training (FCT) as the foundation of every client's program. FCT is one of the most evidence-based strategies in all of ABA: it identifies what a child is trying to communicate through their behavior, then teaches them a more effective, appropriate way to say the same thing — whether that's vocally, visually, or through gesture.

From there, we pair FCT with whichever communication modality — or combination of modalities — best fits where each child is right now and where they're heading.

What is FCT?

Functional Communication Training

FCT is an ABA-based intervention that replaces problem behaviors with appropriate communication. Instead of suppressing a behavior without understanding it, FCT teaches a child why their behavior works — and then teaches a better way to achieve the same outcome.

Reduces challenging behaviors by addressing their root cause

Builds communication skills that are functional and meaningful

Works across all communication modalities — vocal, visual, gestural

Supported by decades of peer-reviewed research

The 3 Methods We Use

Every child deserves a way to communicate

These three methods are used individually and in combination, always tailored to each child's current abilities and long-term communication goals.

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Functional Communication Training

Vocal Communication

For children working toward or developing vocal speech, we use FCT to build vocal echoics — the ability to imitate sounds and words — and shape them into functional communication for expressing wants, needs, and feelings. Each successful vocal attempt is paired with a meaningful reinforcing outcome, teaching the child that their voice works and is worth using. Over time, we systematically expand vocabulary, sentence complexity, and spontaneous communication.

Best for: Children who are beginning to vocalize or who have some emerging verbal speech

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Picture Exchange & AAC Technology

PECS & Proloquo2Go

For children who are currently non-vocal or minimally verbal, we use two powerful visual communication systems. The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) teaches children to initiate communication by handing a picture card to a communication partner — building independence from the very first exchange. Proloquo2Go is an iPad-based Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) app that generates synthesized speech from symbol selections, giving non-verbal children a full, independent voice immediately. Both systems are always paired with vocal approximations to encourage the development of natural speech alongside the AAC system.

Best for: Non-verbal or minimally verbal children who need a voice right now

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ASL + Vocal Pairing

American Sign Language

We teach functional American Sign Language signs — not the full ASL lexicon, but the specific signs most relevant to each child's daily wants and needs. Crucially, every sign is taught paired with the corresponding vocal approximation: the child signs and vocalizes simultaneously, using both channels to communicate. This dual approach is especially effective for children working toward vocal speech, because the physical act of signing provides a motor anchor for the communicative intent — and research suggests simultaneous signing and vocalizing often accelerates the emergence of natural speech.

Best for: Children who benefit from a physical/motor communication channel alongside vocal training

"A child who can communicate their wants, needs, and feelings is a child who can participate fully in their own education, relationships, and life."

Reduces behaviors rooted in communication frustration

Increases independence — at home, school, and in the community

Opens pathways to genuine social connection and friendship

Builds the foundation every other skill depends on

Empowers children to self-advocate as they grow

Why It Matters

Communication unlocks everything else

Every skill we target in ABA therapy — social interaction, adaptive behavior, academic readiness, emotional regulation — is easier to build when a child has a reliable way to communicate. And every challenging behavior becomes easier to address when we understand what the child is trying to say.

This is why communication is never just one goal on a treatment plan at Licini Inc. It's the lens through which we see every session, every skill, every child.

Ready to give your child a voice?

Our BCBA will assess your child's current communication level and build a plan targeting the methods most likely to give them a functional voice as quickly as possible.

FAQ