Beyond words : using paralanguage to communicate effectively / Pat Crissey.

Includes bibliographical references.

Introduction. - 1. Understanding emotions. 2. Facial expressions and body language. - 3. Voice volume. - 4. Rate of speech. - 5. Emphasis. - 6. Voice pitch and inflection. - 7. Tone of voice. - Additional resources. - References.

"The ability to understand nonverbal communication is essential for successful social interactions. If we don’t know what is being communicated, how can we respond appropriately? In recent years, the importance of understanding nonverbal communication – also called paralanguage – including facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice, has become increasingly recognized. Reading these nonverbal clues is challenging for many, including individuals on the autism spectrum. Yet parents, teachers, and therapists are often unprepared to teach something as complex, yet so intuitive as paralanguage. The book includes a basic structure and ideas for teaching emotions, facial expressions, and body language. The book begins with an overview of understanding emotions – a prerequisite to understanding tone of voice. A chapter is then devoted to facial expressions and body language followed by chapters on each of the distinguishing characteristics of tone of voice – volume, rate, emphasis, and inflection. The final chapter, Tone of Voice, integrates these voice characteristics with facial expressions and body language to give the student practice at determining a speaker's emotional state. Each chapter includes: An overview and background information, teaching activities, demonstrations, discussions, and suggestions for active participation "Just for Fun" – additional resources, including free or inexpensive apps and clips from TV programs and movies." - Publisher.