The Transformative Power of Speech Therapy for Autistic Children
Children with autism often struggle with social engagement and expressing their needs. You've probably witnessed your children struggle to ask for items or express themselves in social situations. So how can we make sure that the lives of our autistic children are made easier? Don't worry; there are many different types of speech therapy and speech-language therapists available to help.
Children with autism can benefit from speech-language therapy by improving their verbal, nonverbal, and social communication.
Autism spectrum disorder, which makes it to varying degrees difficult for our children to communicate, is typically diagnosed in early childhood when communication skills are developing.
Some kids might not be able to speak at all or might have trouble speaking.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, children with ASD may have trouble learning language skills and comprehending what other people are saying to them. Also, they frequently struggle with nonverbal cues, including hand gestures, eye contact, and facial emotions.
Speech therapy for Autism
Children with autism may benefit from speech therapy to hone their spoken language, develop their nonverbal abilities, or pick up new communication skills.
SLPs (speech-language pathologists) can teach parents several methods for enhancing a child's communication that is suited to the child's skills, communication situations, and family requirements.
Children with autism can benefit from speech-language therapy by improving their verbal, nonverbal, and social communication. The main objective is to assist the individual in improving their communication skills.
Speech Therapy Benefits for Children with Autism
Speech therapy can help children:
Improve social skills in a variety of contexts, such as those at home, school, and in the community.
- Improving speech clarity
- Choosing facial expressions that correspond to emotions
- Strengthen mouth and jaw muscles
- Regulate voice
- Increase understanding of body language and facial expressions
- Adapt to feeding challenges
- Improve independence and self-advocacy
- Responding to questions
- Associating a picture's meaning with it
Speech therapy program for Autistic children
An evaluation by a speech-language pathologist to determine the patient's communicative strengths and limitations is the first step in a speech therapy program.
Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC)
For some autistic people, speaking is less effective than utilizing technology or graphics to communicate. Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC) is what this is.
A few instances of AAC techniques are:
- Sign language
- Picture exchange communication system (PECS)
- iPads
- Speech output devices (such as Dynavox)
A person with autism can be taught how to use an AAC method by a speech-language pathologist, who can also assist in determining which AAC approach, if any, is best for that person.
Improving Social Skills in Autistic Children
People can focus on objectives linked to social communication with the use of speech therapy. Social skills groups are occasionally provided by speech therapists in addition to one-on-one therapy.
They might also concentrate on teaching kids and adults how to communicate in various contexts. This can involve proper behavior at work, interacting with friends, communicating in a relationship, and more.
If a child is diagnosed with autism, speech therapy is frequently the first treatment suggested.
This is due to the fact that communication difficulties are a common and pervasive sign in children with autism.
Speech-language pathologists for children with Autism
The social communication and actions of people with ASD can be changed by speech-language pathologists to promote social acceptance.
These can support autistic kids in doing simple tasks and developing social awareness.
But, keep in mind that because every child with autism is unique and faces distinct obstacles, no one technique can be relied upon to help every such youngster.
Picture boards with words
Using visual accompaniment is one of the finest ways to communicate with autistic youngsters.
Children can learn symbols and photographs and associate words with them with the use of picture boards used by SLPs, parents, or friends.
By encouraging children to ask for anything they need and teaching them to improvise if the item they need isn't on the board, improves their social skills.
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
SLPs instruct kids in the Picture Exchange Communication System to go up to someone and trade a picture of the thing they want for that thing. For instance, a parent could provide the child a glass of water to pose with.
PECS has 6 phases:
- How to communicate
- Distance and persistence
- Picture Discrimination
- Sentence structure
- Answering questions
- Commenting
Songs to create rhythm in sentences
Music elicits responses more frequently in autistic children than speech does. They retain music more quickly than words, according to studies. The youngster grows accustomed to the beat that is created by repeated repetition.
Children with autism who are able to speak also mirror the rhythm that music provides by expressing that rhythm in their speech. Their ability to think more clearly and construct more complex phrases is improved by this relationship.
Massaging facial muscles for better speech
Any muscle can be massaged to promote relaxation and stress reduction. Massage of the facial muscles can induce relaxation in children with autism and encourage social-related behavior as they become acclimated to physical touch.
Moreover, the contact will decrease withdrawal or touch aversion and lengthen attention span. The person is progressing if they don't flinch away from touch.
Facial massage, however, needs to be done with caution. Sudden contact could frighten the youngster. The SLP should begin by establishing the child's comfort level with touch.
Articulate words better
Remember to speak more clearly than you usually do while teaching words to your child. They will comprehend, remember, and imitate it more clearly the more you say it. Make sure to provide them with many word variations.
As they do well or poorly, be sure to give them concrete comments.
Exercises
To provide the kid with the best care and quality of life possible, speech therapists assess their needs.
To enhance facial and oral motor function, SLPs can provide lip and facial exercises. They can speak more easily because of the improved tongue, lip, and jaw movements.
