How to Teach Speech to Autistic Children

The most critical time for language development happens in the first few years of life. Parents can do many things to encourage their children's language development, but there are some special considerations when the child is autistic. Just as degrees of autism vary, so can the child's ability to speak. While speech therapy with a trained professional is often recommended for autistic children, there are tips parents and caregivers can follow to encourage an autistic child's speech development.

Instructions

• 1

  Set realistic expectations. Speech milestones are not reached overnight and especially not when the child has a disability such as autism. Patience and understanding are key when helping a child with autism learn speech.

• 2

  Sing or whisper words when speaking, because autistic people can often understand the words better this way.

• 3

  Teach nouns first since autistic people are known to be visual thinkers and it is often easier for them to learn words they can associate with a picture in their minds. Starting out this way is ideal when they are learning and becoming comfortable with the basic concepts of speech and language.

• 4

  Use fixations to keep them focused and incorporate learning. It is not uncommon for autistic children to become fixated on certain things. Use this as an advantage when possible. For example, if an autistic child likes cars and you are trying to teach him a sentence, use a car as the sentence's subject to keep him interested.

• 5

  Help the child pronounce consonant sounds, because difficulty with this is known to occur among autistic children. For example, the child might confuse words like "mop" and "hop." In that case, it is especially important to take time to stress consonants to the child by enunciating those sounds.

• 6

  Avoid long sentences and verbal instruction. Keep language simple and direct while the child is learning the concept of verbal speech.

• 7

  Use flashcards and pictures often. If the child can develop a clear picture in her mind to associate with the words she is learning, it will help her to remember them.

• 8

  Respond to the child appropriately. Sometimes it can be difficult for an autistic child to remember words. They may confuse words such as "spoon" and "fork." If your child asks you to hand him a fork and you suspect he may actually mean that he wants a spoon, hand him a fork. If he becomes frustrated, ask him if he wants a spoon and show him the correct object.