Search This Site

Followers

Speech Therapy for Children on the Autism Spectrum

"My son often gets his words mixed up, and doesn't pronounce certain words properly. Do you think he would benefit from speech therapy?"

Communication depends on three factors: hearing, speaking, and understanding. Problems may occur if there's an abnormality in any of the areas. 
 
Usually, however, articulation issues account for 80 percent of speech delays in ASD kids. If your son has difficulty forming words and exhibits lazy tongue, lisp, baby talk, thick speech, or mumbled speech, then he may benefit from speech therapy.

Speech therapy can be an important part of a treatment plan for children with autism who are having difficulty with speech, who are minimally verbal, or in rare cases non-verbal. Speech therapy is more than just working out how to say the right words, though. It focuses on what the child wants or needs rather than simply on verbal communication.

Components of speech therapy include:
  • understanding body language
  • understanding tone of voice
  • using facial or manual gestures
  • understanding body orientation

Speech therapy can help parents, too. Moms and dads can learn to read their child's body language and facial expressions and will learn to connect those expressions to specific needs (some of this is picked up by the parent by chance and by exposure to the child).

If you suspect that your son may have a speech issue, ask your doctor for a referral to a speech pathologist. They will do an official evaluation and test him.  Areas of testing range from physical skills to vocabulary and grammar knowledge. Parents are usually told the results quite quickly, and a written report typically follows within a week. 

A good speech therapist can help your son make large gains. But you can help, too. Your son will probably be given a bit of “homework” (i.e., articulation exercises to practice with the parent each day).

Speech therapy can be taught at school or through an outpatient department of a hospital. Most children’s hospitals have good speech therapy departments that can work with both parents and children to maximize communication using the skills the child can work with.
 
Parents' comments:
 
Anonymous said...yes...I think any child that has speech issues would benefit from it, both of my boys went through it and it helped them! The more help the better I say :)
  
Anonymous said...YES! We started speech 2 weeks ago with my 5 y/o aspies and it I am already seeing a huge improvement!

Anonymous said...My son started speech therapy and that's how we found out he was an aspie. And his speech has very much improved!
 
Anonymous said...My son does speech therapy and we are concentrating on his understanding of language. It is a great benefit.
 


Resources for parents of children and teens on the autism spectrum:
 

==> Videos for Parents of Children and Teens with ASD
 
----------
 

No comments:

My child has been rejected by his peers, ridiculed and bullied !!!

Social rejection has devastating effects in many areas of functioning. Because the ASD child tends to internalize how others treat him, rejection damages self-esteem and often causes anxiety and depression. As the child feels worse about himself and becomes more anxious and depressed – he performs worse, socially and intellectually.

Click here to read the full article…

How to Prevent Meltdowns in Children on the Spectrum

Meltdowns are not a pretty sight. They are somewhat like overblown temper tantrums, but unlike tantrums, meltdowns can last anywhere from ten minutes to over an hour. When it starts, the Asperger's or HFA child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and your child are totally exhausted. But... don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. At the least provocation, for the remainder of that day -- and sometimes into the next - the meltdown can return in full force.

Click here for the full article...

Parenting Defiant Teens on the Spectrum

Although Aspergers [high-functioning autism] is at the milder end of the autism spectrum, the challenges parents face when disciplining a teenager on the spectrum are more difficult than they would be with an average teen. Complicated by defiant behavior, the teen is at risk for even greater difficulties on multiple levels – unless the parents’ disciplinary techniques are tailored to their child's special needs.

Click here to read the full article…

Older Teens and Young Adult Children with ASD Still Living At Home

Your older teenager or young “adult child” isn’t sure what to do, and he is asking you for money every few days. How do you cut the purse strings and teach him to be independent? Parents of teens with ASD face many problems that other parents do not. Time is running out for teaching their adolescent how to become an independent adult. As one mother put it, "There's so little time, yet so much left to do."

Click here to read the full article…

Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

Two traits often found in kids with High-Functioning Autism are “mind-blindness” (i.e., the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and “alexithymia” (i.e., the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in others). These two traits reduce the youngster’s ability to empathize with peers. As a result, he or she may be perceived by adults and other children as selfish, insensitive and uncaring.

Click here
to read the full article...

Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and HFA

Become an expert in helping your child cope with his or her “out-of-control” emotions, inability to make and keep friends, stress, anger, thinking errors, and resistance to change.

Click here for the full article...