Autism and the Importance of Speech Therapy
In the speech pathology industry we get a lot of patients in the autism spectrum walking through our doors. As the name suggests, the autism spectrum varies widely from case to case. To understand it a bit more we will discuss two things today in the blog: how to define the spectrum a little better and why speech pathology may be the best course of action in many of these cases.
The autism spectrum is defined as a range of neurodevelopmental conditions that include autism and Asperger syndrome. People who fall in the spectrum can experience a number of communication and social difficulties you wouldn’t normally come across in others. Symptoms can be recognized really early on in boys (around 2 years of age). However, many cases are not diagnosed until far later in childhood. There’s a wide variety of cases and symptoms in the autism spectrum. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Autism makes it harder for a child to communicate, but those with mild cases have grown up to lead regular lives with practice to overcome their symptoms. There are cases where a child can exhibit a level of genius not found in others, while in other cases a child is unable to communicate normally. There are cases where the child may exhibit both of these symptoms.
It is important to remember any child can possibly fall in the autism spectrum, as many as 1 in every 110 children have some form of autism. There is also no known cause for autism. Many theories have been presented over the years about why a child develops autism. Some people believe childhood vaccines cause autism, but there is no medical data to prove this. From a medical standpoint, a child should not skip out on childhood vaccines as it makes them vulnerable to dangerous illnesses.
Early diagnosis is key to helping a child reach important milestones in their life. That’s where speech pathologists come into play. There is no cure for autism, but a speech pathologist is trained to help the child improve their speech in various ways. Sometimes with enough practice and patience, children who have a hard time speaking are able to start communicating with those around them more frequently and clearly. We call this an absolute win.
The earlier a child is diagnosed and both behavioral and speech therapy come into play the better the results will be - early treatment can help a child’s mind to adapt to these teachings. A child with autism can be successful in school with proper therapy. Speech therapy needs to be tackled in both the sessions with the speech pathologist and at home. The progress the child shows when their mind is being constantly stimulated cannot be stressed enough. It is a team effort. Encourage a child with autism to try new things. This can sometimes be difficult as the child is very used to their routine and schedule, but with a little patience and celebration of their small accomplishments it can sometimes be accomplished.
Autism can present itself in a number of ways and there are silver linings depending on the case. The trick of course, for every patient's success, is to analyze the problem and begin tackling it as soon as possible. If your child has been diagnosed and falls in the autism spectrum, come see us. You will receive a free screening and from there we will begin to figure out how to best accommodate and treat your child.
Thank you for reading our blog. We hope you take a minute to explore the services we offer. We are here to serve you South Florida and wish you a fun and productive summer!
Interested in joining our growing team? Please send your Speech Language Pathologist resume to: info@southflspeech.com.