Speech and Language Therapy
Problems with proper speech and proper language are the major symptom in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), or autism for short. Children with autism face different levels of speech and language impairments, which depend on the severity of the autism on the spectrum.
Speech and language have different symptoms that can be defined as the following:
Speech impairment:
· Problem in production of voice
· Stuttering of voice
· Breaking of the tones and voices
· Repetition of the start of pronunciation of the word, etc.
Language impairment:
· Difficulty in arranging the sentence or phrase
· Difficulty in proper voice or tone of the word
· Lack of vocabulary
· Fluency of the pronunciations, etc.
Both types of impairment related to language and speech can be treated by a therapy called
“speech and language therapy.” This is a recognized program developed by the experts in the treatment of both impairments. This therapy is implemented by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) or speech-language therapists (SLTs), which are certified, professionals. The American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) is the organization that provides the certification for professionals who qualify as SLPs or SLTs.
Speech and language therapy is implemented by a set of instructions and interactive activities that are professionally designed for the treatment of specific impairments in language and speech.
Such activities involve games, vocal drills, physical massage, voice repetition, and other related activities that can improve and help children to develop speech and language proficiency. The following are some of the activities involved in speech and language therapy:
· Language intervention activity: This is an interactive program in which the SLP interacts with children, turning games into a healthy environment. In this activity, pictures and events may be used in treating speech and language deficiencies. The SLP corrects the pronunciation of words and organizes a drill for the same.
· Feeding therapy/oral motoring skills: In this therapy, the therapist helps children make different oral and facial exercises to improve the facial muscles related to speech and language development. Different sensing activities are also involved to convey to children the real experience of the learning matter.
· Articulation therapy: This is an exercise that makes children aware of the procedure on how to develop certain voices and how to pronounce certain words and letters. This is a playful game that is very good for children with autism to exercise on a daily basis.
The following are a few main exercises that involve speech and language therapy. These activities are not hard and fast-paced, but the variations can be implemented by an SLP as per child demand. Therefore, special caution should be taken when hiring an SLP or SLT.
Reference: http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/ill/speech_therapy.html#
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