Wondering How Autistic Kids Develop Language?

by Jacky G. News
Autistic Kids Stats

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Parents of autistic kids may sometimes express frustration that it is difficult to understand what’s going on inside their children’s minds. Some autistic kids are completely nonverbal, meaning that they don’t speak at all. While speech therapy techniques can help autistic kids, we still don’t know nearly as much about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as we should. Some people have suggested that one of the communication problems between autistic and neurotypical people is that autism has an entirely unique language all its own. This doesn’t seem too far-out when you consider that, if you’re not a computer programmer, you might have difficulty understanding the computer geek at the office holiday party who is talking a mile a minute about MySQL performance analysis with TCP/IP network traffic. (Still don’t believe me? Check out this New York Times article on Amanda Baggs, who is nonverbal, but has a “constant conversation with… (her) environment.”)

Speech therapy has definite benefits for children with autism. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can help a nonverbal child use an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Those who struggle with articulation may benefit from Speech Buddies. But we definitely need to know more about this disorder, and researchers have risen to the challenge.

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Special Needs Kids Can Get a Boost from AAC Devices in the Home

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Sign Language for Special Needs Kids

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Speech therapy techniques like Speech Buddies can help special needs kids achieve clear articulation, but what about those who are nonverbal or those who have extremely limited speech abilities? Your child’s speech-language pathologist (SLP) might recommend the use of an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. An AAC device is any tool that facilitates nonverbal communication. An AAC device may be an aided device, which means that it is an actual, physical object like an electronic reader or the picture exchange communication system (PECS). Or an AAC device may be unaided, which means that the child uses facial expressions, gestures, or sign language to communicate. Talk to your child’s speech therapist about whether an AAC device may be right for him.

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Got a Hyperactive Youngster? Try These Speech Therapy Activities for Kids On the Move!

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Sports for Speech Therapy Activities

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Many at-home speech therapy activities and techniques, such as Speech Buddies, can often be squeezed into a few minutes here and there before bedtime, while making dinner, etc. In many cases, simply knowing how to talk to your speech disordered child can make a huge difference. But did you know that you can also customize your child’s favorite sport to turn it into a fun speech therapy session?

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At-Home Speech Therapy for Expressive Language Skills

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
Child Development Milestones - At-Home Speech Therapy

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Speech therapists have countless tricks up their sleeves, along with at-home speech therapy techniques they can teach to parents. One of the many facets of language that a speech therapist can teach your child is expressive language skills. If your child has an expressive language disorder, it means that he has difficulty using language to communicate, or in other words, expressing himself. Your child might have limited speech or he might be entirely nonverbal. Communication difficulties can be extremely frustrating for your child. He might know what he wishes to say, but cannot verbalize it.

Sometimes, speech and language impairments can encourage the frequency of temper tantrums and similar behavioral problems because the child is so frustrated from being unable to make his wishes known. If your child has difficulty speaking, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) can help. To accelerate your child’s progress, talk to the SLP about at-home speech therapy techniques to use at home.

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TMJ Treatment and Coping Tips: How Speech Therapy Can Help

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
TMJ Treatment and Symptoms

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Speech therapists are like Jacks of all trades. They can help children with autism learn to make conversation, children with lisps learn to speak clearly, and yes, they even have speech therapy techniques for TMJ treatment (temporomandibular joint disorder is actually TMD, but it’s more commonly referred to as TMJ).

TMJ is a condition that involves the muscles, nerves, and joints of the jaw. For the uninitiated, TMJ goes beyond simple jaw pain. When I first developed TMJ, I went to the urgent care clinic, convinced that I had tetanus because I couldn’t open my jaw wide enough to speak or eat. I had to use an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device to communicate with the intake nurse (in this case, a piece of paper and pen). Aside from the inconvenience, it was pretty darn painful. If your child is diagnosed with TMJ, don’t take the “wait and see” approach, because it tends to get progressively worse. A doctor can prescribe pain medication and muscle relaxers for TMJ treatment, and she may also recommend that you take your child to a speech-language pathologist (SLP).

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