Find out what speech therapy is and how it’s transforming the lives of autistic children by helping them communicate and connect more easily with the world around them.
Communication isn’t just about words; it’s how we understand and connect with the people around us.
Learning to communicate builds the foundation of a child’s growth, relationships, and future success. Strong communication skills can help children:
- Build and maintain relationships
- Empathize with others
- Become more independent
- Manage their emotional well-being
However, autism can make developing these essential communication skills a real challenge. This is why speech therapy for children with autism can make a big impact, not just on their communication skills but on their entire lives.
Speech therapy doesn’t just help children with autism learn to speak better or more clearly, it also helps them understand body language, social cues, and other unspoken ways people communicate that others seem to pick up more naturally.
At Education Alternatives in Ohio, we take a comprehensive approach to the care and education of every student – both in our autism school and across all of our other programs. This includes working with outside professionals, like speech-language pathologists (SLPs), to help students develop the communication and social skills they need to be successful in the classroom and beyond.
In this blog, we’ll dive into what speech therapy is and how it works, so keep reading to learn about the many benefits of speech therapy for autism – from helping kids express themselves more effectively to building social skills that will support them throughout their lives.
What is speech therapy?
Speech therapy helps people improve their speaking and communication skills.
It is an effective treatment for children and adults dealing with speech disorders or other communication challenges.
It is especially beneficial for individuals with autism who struggle with all different forms of communication, as it helps them express themselves and connect with others more easily.
Speech therapists, or speech-language pathologists (SLPs), work with individuals to overcome various communication difficulties, like trouble pronouncing words correctly, putting sentences together, or understanding and using language.
A speech therapy session will look different for everyone because treatment is designed to fit each individual’s unique needs. This personalized approach is one of many factors that makes speech therapy so effective in helping autistic kids improve their communication and quality of life, but it’s far from the only reason.
Why is speech therapy so important for autism?
Speech therapy can be life-changing for kids with autism because it helps them overcome one of their biggest challenges: communication.
These struggles occur because the brains of people with autism process language and social interactions differently than others. Communication problems can look different for each person.
- Around 25-30% of people with autism don’t develop the ability to speak at all or can only say a few words. Not being able to communicate easily with teachers, parents, or friends can make everyday life more challenging.
- Those with autism who do speak often still have trouble with the non-verbal parts of communication, like understanding body language, facial expressions, or tone of voice. These elements of conversations are essential for connecting with others.
Speech therapy can help both verbal and non-verbal autistic children by teaching them to express themselves more confidently and connect with others.
What are the benefits of speech therapy for children with autism?
Beyond improving communication, speech therapy positively impacts many other aspects of life for children with autism.
The key benefits of speech therapy for children with autism include:
Improved behavior and emotional well-being
Much of the emotional dysregulation and negative behaviors in children with autism, like emotional outbursts or withdrawal, happen because they feel frustrated about not being able to share their needs and feelings.
When children have the tools to express themselves more clearly, they can manage their emotions in a healthier and more effective way.
Stronger relationships
Learning social rules and cues, like eye contact and turn-taking, helps children feel more confident and at ease in social situations.
Improved interactions with family, teachers, and peers build deeper connections that foster a sense of belonging.
Increased independence
When children can communicate better, they don’t need to depend on others as much to get what they need. This helps them become more independent, which boosts their confidence and prepares them for daily life and a successful future.
What speech therapy techniques are used for autism?
As mentioned earlier, every speech therapy treatment plan will differ based on the person’s verbal and social skills.
Speech therapy techniques for non-verbal children with autism involve teaching them to communicate in a way that doesn’t require speaking.
This is known as augmentative alternative communication, or AAC.
AAC refers to all of the different ways people can communicate besides talking. It can be implemented in various ways into a child’s speech therapy treatment plan.
This might include an SLP teaching a child to express themselves through sign language, or with visual tools – like the picture exchange communication system (PECS). These techniques allow those who have trouble speaking or forming sentences to express their wants and needs in a way that works better for them.
For example, an SLP may teach a child that when they are hungry, they can show someone a picture of food. With practice, the child can improve their use of images and learn to make more complex requests.
Speech therapy techniques for verbal children with autism typically focus on:
Teaching them to use their words to express their wants and needs
This may include working with a child to increase their vocabulary and practice the words they use most in their daily lives. With a broader range of words in their toolbox, children learn to express their wants and needs more clearly.
An SLP may also use activities that teach and encourage children to form complete sentences. For example, instead of just saying “juice,” children would practice using a more complete and meaningful sentence like “Can I have juice, please?”
Teaching them how to interact with others in social situations
Since communication skills go far beyond just our words, many children with autism will practice social skills, like understanding social cues and body language, in their speech therapy sessions.
This could include activities such as:
- Role-playing conversations to learn how to start, continue, and end social interactions with others
- Using visual supports to teach children social rules
- Helping children recognize what important social cues mean, like facial expressions and tone of voice
Teaching them how to improve everyday speech challenges
Some children struggle with speaking clearly, making it difficult for others to understand them. In this case, an SLP may use techniques like articulation therapy to help them pronounce sounds correctly.
Others may have trouble controlling the physical movements needed for speaking, such as the lips, tongue, or jaw. To improve the coordination and strength of these muscles, SLPs use oral motor therapy. This therapy involves exercises like blowing bubbles, practicing smiling, or sticking out the tongue.
Children will learn many valuable speech therapy skills during their sessions to improve verbal and non-verbal communication. But the learning doesn’t have to stop there! It’s essential to keep practicing at home to build on those skills.
Check out this helpful list of speech therapy exercises for autism that you can try at home to support your child’s progress.
Does your child need speech therapy?
If your child with autism is struggling with verbal or non-verbal communication, speech therapy can be a valuable resource to help them express themselves and connect more easily with others.
At Education Alternatives, we prioritize our students’ access to essential therapeutic resources – like speech therapy for our students with autism – ensuring they have the support they need in both their education and personal growth.
If you’re an Ohio parent looking for more information on how we support children with autism and integrate the benefits of speech therapy into our programs, contact us today!
Our team will be happy to answer any questions you may have about our autism programs and how we can positively impact your child’s development.
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