Autism is a condition affecting many areas of development including how a person:
• Comunicates with other people
• Relates to other people
• Relates to the World around them
This is a spectrum condition: while all people with autism share certain areas of difficulty, their condition will affect them in
different ways.
Difficulties processing the sensory world can affect a person’s ability to communicate and function independently in social
situations. This can have a negative impact on education, recreation, employment and social integration.
Understanding The Communication Needs Of Person With Autism
Person with Autism often experience difficulties with communicating and interacting with others. They can experience
difficulties with understanding language (making sense of what people say) and using language (using words and
sentences to communicate). They can have difficulties understanding the non-verbal rules of good communication, such
as reading social cues and knowing when to speak or listen. In some cases, person with autism have restrictive and
repetitive behaviors or interests which can make communication and interaction difficult. For example, they may repeat
words and sounds that they hear, have fixated interests that are atypical or intense, or insist on sameness and follow
ritualized patterns.
Person with autism may be sensitive to sounds, textures, food and light, which can affect their ability to interact in a social
environment and impact on all aspects of their life. They often experience difficulties with social imagination and the
development of interpersonal play and imagination. For example, they can have a limited range of imaginative activities,
which might be copied and pursued rigidly and repetitively.
Many children with autism are delayed in their use of language and some do not use speech. In these circumstances,
Speech language therapist help person with autism to use other methods of communication.
Role Of Speech And Language Therapy In Autism
Speech language therapist should be integral members of the multi-agency teams providing support to person with
autism.
SLTs have a unique role in:
▪ Identifying the social and communication characteristics
▪ Contributing to a differential diagnosis of those with autism
▪ Identifying co-morbidities
▪ Training others involved in the care and education of those with autism
How Speech And Language Therapy Helps
Speech and language therapists help to assess, diagnose, and support person with autism. They work to enhance their communication skills, so that individuals with autism can effectively communicate their thoughts, needs and feelings. Speech language therapist involve family members, carers and other professionals, so that they can contribute to decisions and implement communication aids and strategies that help to meet a child or adult’s needs.