Sara rosenfeld ne moves9/22/2023 ![]() I also capitalize on the speech sounds a child can already make. I generally begin with a “bottom-up” method where we work on vowel sounds, then consonant-vowel words, then vowel-consonant words, etc. I use a systematic combination of speech treatment approaches in my own “oral placement” work. This is crucial because children on the spectrum tend to have impaired auditory processing skills.Ĭhildren with autism usually do not respond to traditional methods of speech treatment where the child is asked “to do what I do, say what I say, or follow these instructions.” Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson coined the term “oral placement therapy” to describe special methods used by many SLPs to help children develop appropriate speech motor plans and gestures (See Reference: Bahr & Rosenfeld-Johnson, 2010). A pediatric audiologist should also be able to assess a child’s central auditory processing skills, once the child is responding to sound and language. If this is not possible, the child may be tested (by a doctor) for brainstem auditory evoked responses to determine if the hearing pathways in the brain are working. A properly trained pediatric audiologist can usually obtain some general results by watching how the child reacts to various sound levels and locations. ![]() This frequently requires special methods and intensive treatment.Ī hearing test may be the first order of business. ![]() Speech sound development began at birth, so these children have a lot of “catching up” to do. Many of these children are saying few sounds and producing no words. Speech-language pathologists often receive speech referrals for children (at risk for being) on the spectrum when they are 18 months of age or older. Parents, pediatricians, and others can discretely track a child’s speech development from birth if they have an appropriately detailed checklist (See Reference: Bahr, 2010). These children usually do not “babble, babble, babble,” or “practice, practice, practice” speech sounds and sound combinations from the time they are small. From an early age, they do not practice speech movements enough to develop what SLPs call the “motor plans” or “motor gestures” for speech. Pediatric occupational therapists assess and treat sensory processing disorders.īased on my 30-year experience as a speech-language pathologist (SLP), I have found that children with autism tend to have mild muscle function disorders. Attention, focus, and concentration are needed for all motor learning (including speech). When the sensory systems work together, a child’s attention can also improve. These include the auditory (listening), visual (looking), tactile (touch), and proprioceptive (inner awareness in the muscles and joints) systems. Several sensory systems need to work together for speech to develop and progress. Speech is one of the most refined fine-motor functions in the body. ![]() This combination of factors makes speech development and learning particularly complex. Treating Speech Problems in Children with AutismĬhildren on the autism spectrum frequently have speech and language disorders with related attention and sensory processing problems. Please find a great article link below by Diane Bahr on Autism!
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