Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), have some type of trouble with speech, language, or communication. There are a multitude of variations, from having a difficult time picking up on non-verbal cues, such as hand gestures or facial expressions, to being completely non-verbal.
If you have a child who is autistic, you are not alone. The CDC estimates 1 in 59 children will be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls, 1 in 37 boys and 1 in 151 girls.
Having a child with ASD can be overwhelming, but a speech therapist may be able help
Professionally trained in improving voice, speech, and language disorders. A speech therapist will perform a comprehensive evaluation of your child’s ability to communicate. Then a treatment plan is designed, specifically tailored for your child, with a variety of techniques.
The earlier ASD is identified and addressed with speech therapy, the easier it will be for your child to grasp and understand the spoken language, improve their communication skills, and reach their full potential.
The American Speech Language Hearing Association lists key factors alerting families and providers to the possibility of autism. These include:
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- absence of or delay in pointing to express interest
- hand leading or using another’s body to communicate, often replacing pointing
- failure to show interest in or joint attention to games for pleasure or connection with another
- failure to “show” objects
- failure to look at others
- failure to show an interest in other children
- failure to orient to name or delayed response to name; lack of attention to voice, particularly neutral voice
- no meaningful words or fewer than five meaningful words at 24 months, or cessation of talking after saying three or more meaningful words
- no understanding of words out of context
- failure to demonstrate symbolic play
- aversions to social touch, poor nonsocial visual orientation/attention, excessive mouthing of objects
- unusual mannerisms involving the hands and/or fingers
Autistic children can benefit from speech therapy in many ways. Such as an improvement in their ability to form a good rapport with those in their life and improvement in their overall communication skills, both verbally and nonverbally.
First Words Therapy provides a personalized approach to speech care. We support both children and their families affected with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
