Why Speech Therapy Is Beneficial For Children With Autism

Our success, both within our personal lives and in the professional realm, is often dictated by how we are able to communicate with those around us. After all, so much of our time is dedicated to social interaction and interpersonal relationships, even during the pandemic when the majority of these interactions occurred behind the screen.

However, for children with autism and related disorders, developing effective communication skills is harder than it would be for the average neurotypical person. In fact, it’s estimated that 40% of people with autism are nonverbal – with many others finding verbal or face-to-face communication difficult (AutismSpeaks)

While no two people experience autism in the same way, those with autism or related disorders may face communication barriers such as:

• Difficulty developing language skills.
• Difficulty regarding comprehension or understanding what others are saying or why they might be saying it.
• Poor understanding of non-verbal communication skills, such as body language, facial expressions, or gestures.
• Inability to maintain eye contact during conversation.
• Difficulty with self-expression.

However, there are various steps you can take to help your child with autism find their voice – with one of the most effective methods being therapy services such as speech therapy.

What is Speech Therapy?

Speech Therapy has a long and well-documented history and rose to prominence in the early 19th century. While it is an effective tool for those with autism and related disorders, it is also used to support children and adults with learning difficulties, language disorders, and those who experience hearing loss (amongst others).

During the typical speech therapy session, participants will work alongside a licensed therapist to develop a wide range of communication skills that will enable them to thrive in any environment.

These services often help children with autism and related disorders in all aspects of their life. For example, they may find it easier to communicate with their peers and develop better interpersonal relationships as a result. They can also help ready teens for entering the professional world. However (and perhaps most importantly), speech therapy can help children with autism, and related disorders discover the benefits of self-expression. When they can communicate more effectively, they’ll be able to let others know when they are unhappy and why – which could reduce the chances of them dealing with meltdowns or emotional outbursts.

What skills are developed in Speech Therapy?

Again, the nature of the speech therapy support will vary depending on the individual in question. However, these sessions often include:

• Learning how to better understand and approach certain emotions. For example, learning how facial expressions express both positive and negative feelings and how we can respond to these non-verbal cues.
• Learning how to attribute meaning and nuance to non-verbal signs of communication. For example, children may be asked to match facial expressions, gestures, or body language to specific phrases or sayings. This is sometimes achieved through the use of Social Stories. This technique will help children recognize these social cues moving forward to better respond to these situations.
• Learning how to modulate tone of voice to convey emotions. This technique can also be used to understand speech patterns and nuances in conversation, such as sarcasm.
• Working on making clearer speech sounds or even developing muscles in the mouth or jaw to facilitate this.
• Encouraging children with autism or related disorders to expand their communication skills so that they can discuss a wide range of topics aside from their special interests.
• Working on general social skills and understanding when it is their turn to contribute to a conversation or when communication is expected of them.

At Alee Behavioral, we provide children with autism and their families with a range of therapy services – including speech therapy, Applied Behavioral Analysis, and home-based therapeutic services. Get in touch to find out more!