Benefits of Speech Therapy for Children with Autism
Speech therapy is often undertaken by children diagnosed with autism. It is often the first recommendation as communication impairments are the most prevalent indicators of autism.
Autism, as a developmental disability, varies in terms of severity. The diagnosis of a patient falls in the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The spectrum begins with less severe Asperger’s Syndrome all the way to Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Most patients have impaired communication skills and cognitive skills and little social interaction.
Speech-language pathologists (SLP) offer speech therapy for children with autism to enhance social behaviours and communication for greater social acceptance. SLP professionals often work alongside other professionals and caregivers to provide better care in the form of a tailored private speech therapy program.
Communication Challenges
A child with autism will have difficulty learning both verbal and non-verbal communication skills. The available tools and resources at an expert speech pathologist’s disposal will help them learn to communicate effectively to lead a better quality of life.
In the first appointment the therapist will usually try to get a sense of the child’s current abilities using age-appropriate conversation and games. Once the difficulty areas are identified, a strategy will be formulated to help develop cognitive and language skills.
Even if the child has minimal speech abilities or cannot speak at all, speech therapy will still be beneficial. Speech therapists will then employ various alternative communication methods in private speech therapy to act as a bridge in communicating their thoughts to other people.
Common Speech Therapy Techniques
A speech therapist will usually implement the following approaches in a session –
- Massaging to strengthen the muscles in the throat, mouth, jaw, and lips to help the child develop the ability to speak
- Using gestures and sign languages
- Navigating through digital apps that can create sounds
- Employing speech output devices
- Using picture exchange communication system (PECS)
Benefits of Speech Therapy
Speech therapy for children with autism is absolutely critical. It allows them to express themselves better and form relationships with family and friends. According to research, around 65% of children at preschool age who have autism can pick up language skills and communicate if they start therapy early.
Even children on the milder end of ASD can benefit from speech therapy as it allows them to strengthen areas that cause trouble, such as understanding volume, tone, and non-verbal cues. Through training sessions, children also feel more confident and feel less isolated in social interactions.
Some of the skills that children with autism can pick up during training include –
- Tone and voice modulation
- Clear articulation
- Connecting words and images
- Identifying facial expressions
- Learning more aware of situational context and body language
Using these skills, kids will find it easier to –
- Build relationships using face-to-face communication
- Gold conversations, exchange concepts, and ideas
- Understand questions and give relevant responses
- Start conversations with others
Relevance of Speech Therapy in the ASD Spectrum
As discussed earlier, ASD is an umbrella term that accounts for a wide range of disorders that fall under different levels. Many children who have autism are quite capable but find themselves struggling with communication. Some of their challenges might include discerning expressions, body language, or making eye contact.
When it comes to speech therapy, it isn’t just about words. Therapists help children gather a holistic understanding of communication, which ultimately helps them become more comfortable with the world around them.
Each child with autism is specially-abled and has unique skills and abilities. Like any other child, kids with ASD also need help and support. With strategies such as speech therapy to guide them, your child will become a better-adjusted adult later in life.