When it comes to the types of therapies designed to assist autistic people, there are many routes available. The kind of therapy, or combination of therapies, will depend on the person’s needs and unique profile, including where its spikes are.
Not sure what spikes and profiles have to do with autism? You’re not alone! Join us as we explain what this means and how it affects the types of therapies for autism you may wish to try with your child.
This article explains several different types of therapies for autism, including speech therapy. For personalised advice, contact our team at Chatterbox today.
What is Autism?
Autism or ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is a developmental disorder that affects people of all ages in many different ways. This tends to become noticeable for children by the age of two or three years, but for others, it may be diagnosed much later in life.
Much like with adults, how autism presents in children differs from person to person. Whether your child prefers to play on their own or with others, speaks clearly or not at all, or makes eye contact or doesn’t, every person’s experience will differ from another’s. You may have even heard of autistic people having ‘spiky profiles’— this means that there’s a difference in their abilities in one area of the spectrum than another. For example, they may be able to tie their shoelaces or know their times tables before the ‘average’ age, while they struggle to communicate their needs using words expected for their age.
Types of Therapies for Autism
Depending on your child’s unique skills and areas where they may require assistance, the type or types of therapy you choose may differ from another parent and child. Some common types of therapies for autism are:
1. Speech Therapy
Speech therapy for autism involves a speech therapist assisting your child to communicate with others. This may include helping them recognise and understand sounds and words, encouraging them to express their feelings, and pronouncing common words and phrases.
2. Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)
ABA, a form of behaviour therapy for autism, uses positive reinforcement to show children how their actions connect to consequences. This is utilised positively, where the child receives a reward for positive behaviour, and no punishment is given for any reason.
3. Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is designed to help children learn the skills they need for daily life. This typically includes things like getting dressed in the morning (buttoning shirts, putting pants on the right way, tying shoes, etc.), grooming (brushing their teeth, combing their hair, etc.), and feeding themselves (how to hold a fork or spoon, how to drink from cups, etc.).
4. Play Therapy
Play therapy is definitely about play itself, but its impact aims to go beyond simply having fun! Play therapy is designed to teach children how to work with others as they communicate and express themselves. This seeks to improve their emotional well-being and build on their social and communication skills.
5. Music Therapy
Music therapy is another therapy typically aimed at improving children’s social and communication skills. It doesn’t necessarily have to involve a musical instrument— children may use their voices to sing or make other noises, listen to music, or even write songs to express themselves.
6. Art Therapy
Art therapy tends to involve painting and drawing, but like music therapy, it’s open to all types of art! This could include making crafts, playing with play dough and other sensory arts, and more. Art therapy aims to help children understand instructions, take turns, and transition between activities.
Speech Therapy for Autism
You may choose speech therapy if your child communicates in a way that others often don’t understand, such as babbling, grunting, or not speaking at all. Speech therapy for autism may also be helpful for children to learn how to comprehend the meanings of what other people say to them.
Verbal skills that speech therapy for autism may focus on include:
- Calling people by their names, whether first names (typically used for peers) or titles (Mum, Dad, Mrs. Jones, etc.)
- Naming objects
- Improving articulation
- Sounding out letters and words
- Understanding what others say
- Explaining their feelings and emotions
- Improving sentence structure
- Improving how often they speak
- Improving speech rhythm
- Understanding how to adjust speech volume
While it may focus on improving a child’s speech and comprehension of others’ speech, it also may involve other forms of communication. This may include:
- Using hand signals
- Using sign language
- Using symbols or pictures
- Learning how to make eye contact
- Learning socially appropriate distances from which to speak to another person
Contact Chatterbox for Speech Therapy for Autism
No matter how your child communicates, we aim to assist them with our speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and music therapy services. As dedicated therapists who have helped over 5,000 families (so far!), we’re proud of each and every student and the progress they’ve made. To make an appointment for your child, please call your nearest Chatterbox clinic today.