Why Use Speech Therapy for Kids with Autism

If your child has been diagnosed with autism, there is good news.  Speech therapies have been shown to be very effective at helping kids with autism to develop skills that will help them to communicate appropriately with their families, teachers, caregivers and their peers!

Kids with autism may have a range of abilities in their speech.  They may not talk or try to communicate at all or may utter something that sounds like grunts, shrieks or throat-based sounds.  Other kids may hum or babble or may offer speech that sounds robotic.  Other kids that do have the ability to communicate may do so without expression in their voice, even though they are using the appropriate words and sentences.

Speech therapy can help kids by working on social communication and pragmatic language skill training in these areas.  Some of these solutions include:

Teaching them sign language. Some speech therapists use sign language as a way to bridge the gap in communication with kids with autism.

Adding sounds to their repertoire. Speech therapy for autism helps children to learn to use new sounds and to eliminate those that are not communicating a message correctly.

Providing them with electronic “talkers.” These high tech devices have pictures on the outside and can help a child talk with the press of a button.  Speech therapists can help kids with autism learn how to use this technology.

Music is an answer. Teaching a child to sing a song can help to give kids with autism the inflection and rhythm of natural speech.

Learn to play. Working with a speech therapist helps children learn the proper way to interact with toys and objects.

Would you like to learn more about how speech therapy can help children with autism? Call our caring, professional staff today at (330) 748-0389.