Every autistic child is different and unique. As such, there is no one size fits all solution for all autistic children. Every child is special, with varying needs, challenges and strengths.
A child diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) mostly has problems with communication skills such as interpreting and understanding language. In fact, communication is the biggest problem for a child with ASD. This is why there is a need for private speech and language therapy for such children. Autism and speech therapy have a close connection.
Speech therapy helps build a child’s receptive and expressive language skills to help them communicate effectively. This includes learning the functional use of words they are learning, expressing themselves with gestures or spoken language, and learning how and when to communicate in a socially suitable or acceptable way.
Why speech therapy?
Speech therapy is useful for more than just communication. It can help with cognitive and fine motor skills. It can help with the following issues of the child:
- Challenges in feeding
- Weak muscles in the oral area
- Trouble in understanding the meaning of words and their suitable usage.
- Lack of ability to communicate or gesture non-verbally and to keep up eye contact
- The inability of social interaction with others
The framework of speech therapy for autistic children
The prime goal of speech therapy is to ensure that the child learns to communicate spontaneously and functionally. This implies that the child must be able to communicate their basic needs and wants to others without the use of prompts. If this is not possible, one must take the following steps:
- Using AAC
If the child’s speech does not serve for functional speech, one will be required to use different forms of AAC (Augmentative Alternative Communication) till one identifies what works with the child. Note that different options work differently with each child.
Voice-output AAC device: this device will communicate a message when a child pushes on a switch or hits a button. This device can be as simple as a single button featuring a single message or as complex as a touch screen device with folders and buttons which change as the child pushes them.
Communication system based on pictures: Some autistic children benefit from the use of pictures to communicate. This makes communication more concrete for them. One can begin with a small board for communication, enabling the child to gesture what they want. Alternatively, one can use a more complicated device like a PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System).
Sign language: Some ASD children like to communicate using their body or sign language. This technique has proved to be more successful for children with autism and has helped children speak more quickly than without sign language.
- Encouraging spontaneous language
Autistic children have trouble using the spontaneous expression of language. They may respond to specific questions or may speak when told to but will not speak up on their own when they require something or are upset.
In the case of such children, it is good to use fading provision of prompts to the child, such that they work more and more spontaneously and independently, every time.
For instance, one may start by telling the child what to say in a specific situation. Next, one can fade back to a prompt like ‘use your words’. Further on, one can fade back to visual cues like pictures that say, ‘use your words’. This is just an example of training a child for spontaneous communication.
Another solution for spontaneous communication is to use a PECS system. Such a structured program has proved highly successful in increasing spontaneous communication in autistic children.
It might also be useful to begin teaching the child basic requests and then progress to other kinds of communication like asking, greeting, communicating, etc.
Offer social instruction in suitable settings
The next step to deliver speech therapy is social instruction. Autistic children have problems with understanding behaviour that is socially acceptable. They may not always know how to behave or act in different social situations. The ordinary school is an enormous social situation that may be hard for autistic children to handle.
- Direct teaching of behaviour that is socially acceptable
It is vital to teach the child what is socially acceptable behaviour in a variety of settings. This includes how they should listen and take part in social situations and what they should say or do. One must target basic skills like following directions, answering questions and listening to teachers for very young kids. For older kids, one can teach the child how to hold conversations and become good friends.
Visual supports: When the adult presents visual reminders, the child remembers how to behave in a particular social situation.
Social stories: These are books created to teach the autistic child expected behaviours in social situations.
Video modelling: Students watch videos that demonstrate suitable and expected social behaviour.
Focus on peer interactions
Autistic children find it tough to interact with their peers, so they must be taught such skills. Most autistic children suffer from this problem. The nature of teaching skills depends on the age and developmental stage of the child:
- Young children
The following are some strategies for the youngest kids:
Play skills: Teach the child how to play and get along with others.
Response to name: The child must be trained to respond when called by name.
Establish joint attention: Train the child to understand those around her.
- Older children
The following methods are useful for older children struggling with peer interactions:
Focus on conversational skills: Identify social skills lacking in the child during normal interactions with other persons.
Train in perspective handling: Train the child to adopt another perspective to see their problems.
- Training adults
Though parents desire to gain more and more time from a speech therapist for their child, this is not the best method. This is because of the following issues:
- Problem of generalisation
Autistic children have problems with generalisation. This is especially true with communication skills. It is not necessary that the skills taught by a therapist will be generalised by the child in other settings. So, the child must have lots of practice using such skills in a variety of situations.
- How to train children and adults
The therapist must train other adults interacting with the child to help the latter hone skills of generalising communication skills in various situations.
These are some of the features of private speech and language therapy for autistic children. One will discover the close relationship between treatment for autism and speech therapy.