Parent to Child and Therapy Associates

Speech therapy is almost always recommended for autistic children since many people with autism have difficulty with social communication. Even if a child is very verbal and says a lot of words, they might need to work on communication skills like: 

• responding to questions
• starting or ending conversation
• changing conversation topics
• using gestures like pointing
• understanding other people's body language 

Speech therapy is a big focus in early intervention for autistic children and is usually the starting place for recently diagnosed kids. There is a critical period in the brain for language development and so, it's really important to teach language and communication skills as early as possible, especially if there are any delays in that area. Your child will learn effective ways to communicate which will help them grow into more independent and confident individuals.

It might be obvious when a child struggles with speaking —they are very quiet, say only a few words, or don't speak at all.

Spot speech and language delays like a doctor here.

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

There is no one way to provide or practice art therapy. Sessions will vary depending on your child's specific needs and their therapist. A session may be free-flowing or very structured, open-ended, or focused on a specific goal.

A session may start with traditional talk therapy, or general art making or play for wellness or grounding. Sessions may involve specific interventions, which can result in a special product. The special product can help the child to experience or view their emotions, thoughts, and beliefs in a new way.

Yes! Research has found that art therapy can help reduce the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. A recent study found that autistic children who participated in art therapy showed improvement in their emotional regulation, as well as their verbal and nonverbal communication skills.