Let’s discuss more about the process and understand how it is beneficial for kids’ cognitive-communication disorders.
Speech therapy is accessible nowadays. It is considered effective and efficient for language delay and fluency disorders. It is administered by speech therapists and the treatment helps with language disorders and language disorders affecting kids as well as expressive disorders. So what else is there to know about language counseling?
What Is This Type Of Therapy
Speech therapy aims to help with autism spectrum disorder in children (most of them have expressive disorders and language difficulties). The treatment is essential so that we know they can live a normal and happy life, too. Almost everyone with ASD is advised to take the language counseling, as recommended by language pathologists. The reason for this is that many children with ASD have compromised or limited capacities and have communication challenges and language disorders. At the same time, it also confronts major non-verbal communication problems, specifically maintaining eye contact and playing with other people. In autism, receptive language is often seen to lag behind expressive language. For these reasons, clinical management, including oral exercises, or articulation therapy, and other language development techniques for this has many benefits for children with ASD.
Understanding Language Counseling
Speech therapy techniques, also known as language pathology, is a field that focuses on the assessment and treatment of language disorders, articulation disorders, and communication disorders. Language pathologists use a variety of techniques, such as language and articulation exercises, to help individuals with language disorders, fluency disorders, cognitive communication disorders, and more. They can work with individuals who have slow or slurred speech as a result of a brain injury or other conditions. Treatment plans may vary depending on the severity of the disorder and the individual’s needs.
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy can teach children to learn daily living skills and new skills through the use of positive reinforcement and verbal responses. ABA programs are typically run by behavior analysts who provide direct supervision and training to caregivers. Its effectiveness depends on how many hours a child receives treatment each week and how closely they follow the ABA program. ABA works for a range of conditions, including autism spectrum disorder.
“Traditionally, intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has focused upon reducing interfering behavior and teaching language, academic and self-help skills.” –Marlene Driscoll, MA, LMFT
Speech Therapy Helps Autistic Children
It Develop The Ability To Express Needs (Child’s Oral Awareness)
A child with cognitive-communication disorders has a hard time expressing both their wants and needs (slow or slurred speech makes it more difficult). Sometimes, they do not learn spoken language bit by bit; instead, they do it in “chunks.” This is where speech therapy comes in. For example, they repeat these long chunks of sentences from their favorite TV shows and stories without fully understanding what they mean. Experts call this disorder echolalia. Echolalia can also be a sign of developmental disability in children or neurological disorders in adults. This can be addressed with language exercises and techniques taught by a licensed language therapist.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a therapeutic approach that focuses on understanding how such behaviors occur and can be changed without the need to resort to negative reinforcement. ABA techniques are often used to help individuals with intellectual functioning and developmental disabilities by teaching social skills and academic skills. Discrete Trial Training (DTT) is a common ABA technique that breaks down complex tasks into smaller steps to teach desired behaviors. A trained behavior analyst can become certified through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and use ABA principles to reduce negative behaviors and promote positive outcomes.
With the help of speech therapy, they learn how to communicate verbally and non-verbally with other people and exchange ideas with their peers properly. They will also be given repetition exercises that would help strengthen oral muscles so they can correct some word sounds and fluency disorders. It is crucial in building relationships not only in the comforts of their home but also outside of it. Children need to mingle with other kids, too. They need to communicate, play, and interact with other people in order to grow (social communication). They are able to express their emotions in a healthy and proper way. This is one of the most important goals of language counseling.
Early Intervention By Language Pathologists Improves Grammar
Speech therapy aims to aid children with ASD and language disorders as they have a difficult time applying correct grammar even if it’s taught both in school and at home. The most common grammar mistake they do is referring to themselves in the third person. For example, instead of saying, “I want to eat cereals,” they’ll say, “John wants cereals.” In this component, language pathologists SLPS target this skill and guide them into correcting these grammar mistakes. Some of them may also have swallowing disorders and cognitive communication challenges and language exercises can very well help with these.
With speech therapy children with autism are able to identify which words and phrases to use in order for others to understand what they want to communicate.
It can help improve a range of communication and language skills. Expressive disorders and receptive disorders can both be addressed through speech techniques, which may include exercises to strengthen the mouth and jaw, as well as language intervention activities.
Language interventions through speech therapy depend on a case-by-case basis. But it can also be helpful for individuals with fluency disorders, such as stuttering, as well as those with nervous system disorders that affect speaking and language development. It is important to work with a qualified pathologist, who may be a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, to develop an individualized treatment plan.
Techniques Help Children Talk Confidently
Speech therapy also addresses one of the difficulties of having ASD which is the inability to comprehend both verbal and nonverbal communication that other people try to tell you. It also teaches them to recognize cues such as facial expressions and body language and translate these into understandable messages. As such, it also gives them the capability to initiate individual and group communication without having to wait for others to do so. The speech-language pathologist can also teach parent-implemented speech therapy so that parents will know how to help their kids at home.
“It is painful and difficult to identify, because so many neurotypical partners see these as problems existing within in themselves, rather than as their reactions to confusion, to feeling systematically ignored, or to feeling not heard for many years.” –Sarah Swenson, MA, LMHC
Speech Therapy Develops Their Articulation Skills
Aside from improving their comprehension, speech therapy also targets the improvement of the children’s articulation and communication skills. Articulation refers to the physical movement of the lips, palate, tongue, and jaw. All of these parts should be able to coordinate correctly to produce sounds learned in this treatment. Other healthcare professionals can also manage a specific underlying medical condition if there is any, like hearing loss and difficulty reading, among others.
Children, too become confident as they learn the proper words and gestures to use when communicating with other people.
Hence, speech therapy treats communication problems, including voice disorders, slurred speech, and cognitive communication issues. These problems can be caused by underlying medical conditions such as brain injury. Resonance disorders can also affect speaking, and speech-language pathologists can help individuals develop the skills needed for effective communication. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is a valuable resource for those seeking more information about speech therapy.
Guides Children To Produce Sound Patterns
It Addresses Speaking Fluency
Speech therapy is beneficial to children with ASD experiencing various communication disorders like interjections, prolongations, and repetitions. Displaying this disorder tends to lower their self-confidence. With the help of speech therapy for ASD and language intervention activities, the patients learn strategies on how to increase their fluency and control their stutters which helps them stimulate language development and improve communication skills.
Applied Behavior Analysis can increase behaviors and decrease undesired behaviors. It focuses on setting a goal behavior and using evidence-based interventions to achieve those goals. ABA teaches individuals useful skills and changes behavior through long-term treatment. Practitioners of ABA typically hold a master’s degree and use data-driven methods to learn skills and modify behavior.
Effects On Language Disorders
“Often, kids, teens, and adults on the spectrum spend a lot of time trying to be “normal”, fighting sensory overload and overwhelm, fending off personal quirks, and trying so hard to “fit in”, socially and otherwise.” Karla Helbert, LPC, E-RYT, C-IAYT said. Just like other medical diagnoses, the effect of speech therapy depends on how early you detect and treat speech disorders, the higher the chances of addressing their speech-language problems and fluency disorders thoroughly. Usually, children utter their first words around their 18th month and form basic phrases and sentences in their 24th month. It means that ASD is detectable at the age of 3. Therefore, it is recommended to start speech therapy early for it to be more beneficial and useful for children with autism.
Therapy: FAQs
How Can I Do Speech Therapy At Home?
What are common language problems?
How Do I Know If My Child Needs Speech Therapy?
What causes delays in language?
How long should speech therapy last?
Does speech therapy actually work?
What type of people need speech therapy?
Why do some people need speech therapy?
What age is best for speech therapy?
How do you fix speech delay?
Is speech therapy stressful?
Can speech therapy change your voice?
How can I do speech therapy at home?
What age is too late for speech therapy?
Is 5 years old too late for speech therapy?