There are many things we still need to understand about helping children with Autism. Every day we get closer and closer to many of the answers we’ve searched for since the first diagnosis of the spectrum, and yet there is so much to learn. One thing is for certain, there are more techniques available today than ever before to help you and your child grown and learn. Speech therapy has emerged as one of the most important and effective techniques for helping a child on the autism spectrum communicate and express emotions that can be difficult to get out.
There are so many great resources out there to research speech therapy techniques for your child, but here are three basic speech therapy techniques for elementary school children on the autism spectrum:
1. Have your child visualize their feelings.
Children on the autism spectrum see the world vividly. To help them develop language based responses to how they feel, you can start by having them show you their feelings with drawings or illustrations.
2. Tailor your discussions to what they like to talk about.
If your little one is really into comic books, use this to your advantage. If they get really excited about a particular cartoon on television, or there is an activity they really like to do, use this to help get the ball rolling for speech therapy. The attention span of a child on the autism spectrum can be short, so you have to maximize the time you have by focusing on subjects that are interesting for your child.
3. There is strength in numbers.
If you have the opportunity to get a couple of kids together to work on their speech therapy in a group, they will benefit. They can learn to ask each other questions to find out answers they are looking for, and even learn how to express emotions through body language.
Peak Potential Therapy can help you learn effective speech therapy techniques to practice with your child so you can continue to help them grow at home. We will work with you, your child’s teachers and school staff and anyone else involved in your child’s life to make sure that you are all working together. Contact Peak Potential Therapy today and let us help you understand and apply speech therapy techniques that work for your child on the autism spectrum.