Language Strides LLC

This can be stressful for both students and parents alike. It can be surprising and upsetting for a parent to see their child stumble repeatedly over a single word. The child may be even more keenly aware and uncomfortable. Parents can provide reassurance by telling the child, "That's alright. I know someone who can help us with this," and by reading with them and showing them the delight of a shared story. At school, parents can share their concern with the child's classroom teacher and ask them what support can be provided. Outside of school, parents can seek an evaluation from a neuropsychologist or a speech language pathologist who specializes in literacy to get to the bottom of why the child is struggling. Structured literacy therapy that is intensive and paced specifically for the individual can help a student to catch up and begin to keep pace with their peers. As the student begins to learn how to learn to read and that they can indeed learn to read, stress levels go down and confidence rises. We can help them make the transition from Learning to Read into Reading to Learn.

A formal ASD diagnosis, or a medical diagnosis, helps you get the support your family needs, especially within the context of accessing medically necessary therapies and services.

• Insurance Coverage for Therapies: Medically necessary therapies for ASD are often covered by insurance including, but not limited to, speech therapy, ABA therapy, and occupational therapy. 
• Financial Support: A diagnosis is required when applying for social security or disability benefits. 
• Plan for Care: A diagnosis helps identify your child’s support needs. For example, your child might need to develop social communication and self-regulation skills.
• Future Research: The more data we gather through evaluations, the more we can improve services for autistic children and adults.

Check out Autism Diagnosis: The Complete Guide for Parents for more information.

1 in 36 children is diagnosed with autism according to the latest reports.

Here are some reasons why:

• Medical professionals understand autism better. More doctors are trained to test for autism and other developmental and language delays.  
• The definition of autism has evolved in recent years which means that an autism diagnosis covers more conditions to help more people get the services they need.

For more information check out Common autism diagnosis questions: Answers from Dr. Melanie Hsu

Yes, but there is room for improvement. We don’t have a single, perfect diagnostic tool for autism and there are a lot of factors that contribute to an accurate diagnosis. There are a few “gold standards” that are used for diagnosis.

The goal of speech therapy is to help your child communicate effectively with other people across all environments. This may take the form of using gestures, simple signs, verbal speech, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).

Some other common things speech therapists can help with:

• Nonverbal skills, such as signs or gestures
• Forming speech in a clearer way
• Communicating thoughts and feelings clearly
• Understanding and responding to questions
• Discerning facial expressions and their corresponding emotions
• Noticing and understanding body language
• Feeding and swallowing
• Stuttering