Hi Woodburner,
There are many forms of non verbal communication, and you are doing right in wearing similar outfits and using the same scent. It's all about familiar things that lead us to recognise and communicate.
Have you tried different gestures.... touch... body language.... our body language is really important ( get down to his level, no standing over him, bend down if you can, sit at eye contact level ). Eye contact is probably the biggest form of communication, a lot can be said by just looking into someone's eyes.
Newspapers, magazines, puzzle books, or jigsaw puzzles, picture cards, music ..... there are lots of things out there to stimulate and encourage interaction.
If I can think of anything else, i'll pop back and add. Good luck