My name is Linda Hodgdon and In this short video, I'm going to discuss
the question: “How will speech therapy help children with
autism?”
One of the core areas of difficulty for all students on with autism spectrum disorders
is communication. The Speech-Language Pathologist / speech therapist / speech teacher is the
person who provides therapy or training for them. The term SPEECH therapy can be a bit
confusing for people.
I really prefer the term COMMUNICATION training.
The therapist helps students by teaching a variety of communication skills. Therapy can
focus on teaching non verbal children to say words. It can focus on teaching children to
use verbal language more effectively. But Communication training can involve teaching
many important related skills such as establishing a social connection which is a core skill
for effective communication interaction. Or following directions, communicating wants
and needs, behaving appropriately for the situation, following schedules and routines
Even students who talk a lot may need help having effective social skills, understanding
social situations,and many many other skills that help them participate successfully in
their life environments.
What becomes evident is that communication training is one of the most important areas
of support for students on the autism spectrum because communication is such a vital part
of everything else in life.
