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Guess What?

Children who have been diagnosed with Autism or other Spectrum-related disorders, tend to experience Sensory Integration Difficulties. This means experiencing difficulties with making sense of their senses. In other words, their sensory system may appear to be "tweaked" slightly higher than that of a typically developing person and they may experience sounds, smells, taste, and touch at a level slightly  higher  and more intense than normal.

Stuttering

Some speaking situations cause stuttering to increase more than others.  Talking on the phone, speaking to an authority figure, meeting new people, speaking to larger audiences are considered in some cases as  dysfluency inducing situations.

Table of Contents

1. What is a Speech/Language Pathologist?
2. What is Speech/Language Therapy?
3. Why does my child have a speech delay?
4. What is a Language Acquisition?
5. How can I encourage my child to speak like his peers?

What is a Speech/Language Pathologist?

A Speech/Language Pathologist is a thoroughly trained specialist who is able to recognize and treat the  following Speech/Language Disorders:

1. Articulation/Phonological Processes
2. Dysphagia (Feeding Difficulties)
3. Fluency Disorders (Stuttering)
4. Pragmatic Disorders
5. Specific Language Impairment
6. Voice Disorders
7. Receptive/Expressive Language Delay

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What is Speech/Language Therapy?

Speech Therapy involves a series of activities to meet specific goals.  These goals are usually accomplished over a period of time.  Your child will:

1.  Learn new skills in therapy depending on the nature of your child's disorder

1. Learn new behaviors (such as producing new speech sounds)
2. Learn to modify behavior which interferes with adequate communication (such reduction of tongue thrusting or reducing speech rate)
3. Relearn skills that were lost due to an acquired disability
4. Learn to improve speech through muscle control and stimulation
5. Learn to augment oral communication with a variety of devices (gestures, sign language, communication boards or electronic instruments that produce synthesized speech)

2.    The Speech/Language Pathologist will try to develop a good interpersonal relationship with your child.  The speech/language pathologist will use games, rewards, and play activities to maintain your child's interest and stimulate the child to learn.

3.    Parents play a key role in the therapy process through:

1. Observation of therapy techniques
2. Incorporating techniques in activities of daily living
3. Providing language opportunities within the home environment

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Why does my child have a speech delay?

Some of the most common causes of a speech delay are:

1. Hearing loss or recurrent ear infection (Otitis Media)
2. Mouth deformities or abnormalities
3. Difficulty with Mouth Movements (uncoordinated movement of lips, tongue, jaw)
4. Language delay (difficulty learning the meaning of words and how to use words)
5. Genetic Inheritance

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What is Language Acquisition?

Language acquisition or language development is how children make sense of the world through the use of language.  They acquire or learn language by:

1. Imitating the sounds their parents make
2. Imitating the facial expressions, maintaining eye contact, and gestures of their parents to communicate their needs, wants, and desires
3. Responding appropriately to simple directions
4. Using gestures to convey meaning in the place of words
5. Varying intonation and vocal inflections to convey meaning

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How can I encourage my child to speak like his peers?

Using language facilitation techniques will help your child to develop language.

Here are a few:

1. Name common objects over and over in short sentences
2. Start with "easy" to produce words (Ex. ball, baby, mama, papa, mine, more)
3. "Bombard" your child with new words as they occur in activities of daily living (Ex. "Look, I see a bird.  It's a pretty bird. That bird is red.  That bird flies high!)
4. Allow your child to "feel" new words as they are produced by you.  Let her feel your throat, mouth, and face to encourage language processing and to increase the likelihood of their productions.
5. Repeat, repeat, and repeat!!!

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