Speech Disorder

[GHA]

Some of the children on the spectrum have speech disorder..My friends son is 17 years. He was diagnosed as Autistic at the age of 5 years. He is being treated by speech therapist. What else can I suggest to the parents. I believe parents can play a big role.

 

[rollerskate]

Um...

By the time a speech therapist comes into play the most parents can do IMHO is just support it. Speech therapy is difficult and exhausting. Drilling the kid at home is just likely to backfire. It's something they have to undertake on a personal level, not only because of how grueling it is, but also because by that point they're probably growing a complex about their speech and are very sensitive and self aware, and therapy tends to make it even more obvious.

I say this as someone that went through speech therapy as a kid and as the parent of a child that is going to be taking it next year. The most I could really do for him is try to keep his speech caught up before the therapy came into play in the hopes it never would be needed. And I did manage to keep him up to developmental norms until he got older. This kind of assertive action though has to start with the child learning to talk. By speech therapeutic age (usually 5/6) you're coming rather late to the party. I also had the benefit of knowing a lot about the science of speech due to having been through speech therapy myself.

The best you can do is what you're doing now by sending the child to a speech therapist. But much like a psych therapist, there's little you can do from the outside except just show your support for the person going through it.

 

[GHA]

Um...

By the time a speech therapist comes into play the most parents can do IMHO is just support it. Speech therapy is difficult and exhausting. Drilling the kid at home is just likely to backfire. It's something they have to undertake on a personal level, not only because of how grueling it is, but also because by that point they're probably growing a complex about their speech and are very sensitive and self aware, and therapy tends to make it even more obvious.

I say this as someone that went through speech therapy as a kid and as the parent of a child that is going to be taking it next year. The most I could really do for him is try to keep his speech caught up before the therapy came into play in the hopes it never would be needed. And I did manage to keep him up to developmental norms until he got older. This kind of assertive action though has to start with the child learning to talk. By speech therapeutic age (usually 5/6) you're coming rather late to the party. I also had the benefit of knowing a lot about the science of speech due to having been through speech therapy myself.

The best you can do is what you're doing now by sending the child to a speech therapist. But much like a psych therapist, there's little you can do from the outside except just show your support for the person going through it.

rollerskates,
Thanks for your reply. I was wondering why some children undergoing speech therapy at 2-3 years age, with everything else going perfectly well for them, suddenly start regressing (speech regression)?

 

[Ylva]

Having read some articles and blogposts about how scripting actually helps, I think maybe discouraging scripts equals discouraging speech altogether.

 

[rollerskate]

rollerskates,
Thanks for your reply. I was wondering why some children undergoing speech therapy at 2-3 years age, with everything else going perfectly well for them, suddenly start regressing (speech regression)?

Because it doesn't just end with therapy. You have to keep practicing it even after the therapy ends. At that age though I doubt the child is going to remember the exercises they were taught...

It does help lessen the severity of their impairment when they're older I'm sure, just like I helped lessen the severity of my sons impairment by applying the exercises I learned as a kid. But in the end they not only have to remember the therapy but also keep practicing in order for it to be truly effective.

 

[The Penguin]

I use to have speech issues during my childhood. I am a lot better now and no one can tell I use to have one.