How Can A Speech Therapist Help With Autism Spectrum Disorder?

As a parent, you’re constantly worried about doing right by your child.

You want to give them every possible advantage so they will succeed in life.

So if they start to show signs of neurodiversity, such as a condition such as autism spectrum disorder, you might worry about what it means for their future.

Luckily, seeking treatments like autism spectrum disorder speech therapy at an early age can help ensure they learn the skills they will need to thrive as they grow older.

Today we’ll take a closer look at autism spectrum disorder.

We’ll explore what it is, common signs to look for in your child, and how a Washington DC pediatric speech therapist can help.

Keep reading to find out more.

What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition.

That means it’s a condition related to the way the brain develops.

Its most commonly associated with issues related to communication and social interactions.

There is currently no known cure for autism spectrum disorder.

Because it’s related to how the brain develops, it’s unlikely there ever will be.

However, with proper treatment, autistic people can still live happy, fulfilling lives.

Are You Born With Autism Or Develop It?

Autism is something you’re born with.

You might not discover that you’re autistic until later in life.

But from what we understand, it’s not something that develops later – either you’ll always be autistic, or you’ll never be.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Causes

There is currently no known single cause of autism spectrum disorder.

But we do know there are some factors which are thought to increase the risk of it.

Some of these include:

• Having an autistic sibling
• Fragile X syndrome
• Tuberous sclerosis
• Rett syndrome
• Genetic factors
• Environmental factors
• Being born premature

As well, certain things can increase the chances of your having an autistic baby.

These include:

• Being older during pregnancy
• Taking thalidomide while pregnant
• Taking valproic acid while pregnant

People who are transgender are also more likely to be autistic.

a 2015 study by Van Der Miesen, Hurley, and De Vries found that 20% of transgender people who sought treatment for their gender dysphoria also showed signs of autism.

Compare that with about 1% of the general population.

Babies assigned male at birth also tend to be diagnosed as autistic more often, but we’re not sure why that’s the case.

One theory is that the symptoms of autism tend to be more obvious in babies assigned male at birth.

Do Vaccines Cause Autism?

The theory that vaccines cause autism was proposed by Dr. Andrew Wakefield back in the 1990’s.

Since then it has been shown to be deeply flawed and based on bad science.

There is absolutely no credible evidence to support claims that vaccines can cause, or increase the likelihood of, autism spectrum disorder.

How Does Autism Affect Speech And Language?

There are many common traits and symptoms in autistic people.

But every autistic person is unique.

Even more so than many disorders, it’s difficult to predict how autism will manifest in one person to the next.

With this in mind, in this section, we are going to look at some of the ways autism may present and affect speech and language.

Social Communication Issues

People with autism spectrum disorder may experience some or all of the following issues related to social communication:

• Has trouble keeping eye contact
• Trouble using and interpreting non verbal gestures
• Issues with making and keeping friends
• Taking abstract ideas literally
• Unable to share their interests with others

Language Impairments

• Stilted speech or not speaking at all
• Echolalia – repetition of someone else’s speech
• Loss of words which have already been learned
• Delay in acquiring social words such as names
• Inability to form words
• Trouble understanding idioms, sarcasm, and figurative language

Behavioral And Emotional Issues

• Depression related to challenges socializing or making friends
• Anxiety and social withdrawal
• Difficultly taking things they’ve learned and generalizing it to other situations
• Issues with sleep
• Unable to regulate their emotions
• Trouble interpreting others emotions

Sensory Issues

• Very particular food preferences, often related to texture
• Not eating as varied a diet as others
• Easily overstimulated by environmental factors such as lights, sounds, and visual clutter
• Preferring nonsocial interactions and stimuli

Is It Possible To Outgrow Autism?

From what we can tell, that doesn’t seem to be possible.

Autism symptoms will last for one’s entire life.

Some adults, however, learn techniques known in the autistic community as “masking”.

This is where an autistic person hides their autism in social situations in order to appear like an allistic person.

Allistic means somebody who is not autistic.

But masking is a learned behavior.

It doesn’t mean a person who masks is not autistic.

Is Autism Linked To Other Health Conditions?

If you or your child is autistic, you’re at greater risk of other health conditions.

These include:

• ADHD
• Feeding and swallowing disorders
• Expressive and receptive language disorders
• Down syndrome
• Bipolar disorder
• Sleep disorders
• And more

How Can A Speech Therapist Help With Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Speech therapy for autism spectrum disorder can help people learn skills and strategies to help with communication.

This can help them to be better understood by others.

It can also help them better understand what others are communicating.

It can also help individuals to learn to use their strengths and improve areas of weakness.

Many of these can be applied by a speech therapist, and some of the ways they can help include:

• Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) strategies to enhance communication – these can include pictures, drawings, gestures, and devices to help with speech
• Visual cues and supports to demonstrate schedules and help with sequences of activities
• Computer programs to help teach social skills and vocabulary
• Learning to participate in conversations
• Helping them become better communicators

Of course, every child is different, and your individual speech therapist will always seek to create a personalized plan which will be best suited for your child’s needs.

Early intervention speech therapy is important for autistic children.

This is because speech therapy for children tends to be more effective when started early.

However, autism isn’t always diagnosed as a child.

If you’re an adult who’s recently discovered you’re autistic, adult speech therapy can help you as well.

Book Your Appointment With Voz Speech Therapy Today

Does your child have difficulty communicating with other kids their age?

Would they rather spend time focused on a book or project than playing and interacting with other children?

Do they seem to have a hard time regulating their emotions, are more prone to temper tantrums, or seem to be overly sensitive?

Or maybe they are a really picky eater, showing preferences for certain types and textures of foods.

These all could be signs of autism spectrum disorder.

If that’s the case, we’re Voz Speech Therapy and we’re here to help.

Serving the Washington DC area, we can help with a speech therapy screening for ASD, assessment of your child’s abilities, and creation of a treatment plan which is as unique as your child.

Book your appointment with Voz Speech Therapy today and take the first step towards getting the help you need so your child can live a more fulfilling life.

Book your appointment with Voz Speech Therapy today.