Autism is a developmental disorder where a child has difficulties in three key areas of development:
- Communication and language
- Social interaction
- Limited imagination or increased insistence on sameness.
Autism is often described as a continuum, from mild to severe, and different labels may be used such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC).
The term ‘Asperger’s Syndrome’ is often used to describe children who have better developed language skills, but still have social interaction difficulties.
Children with autism can present with a wide range of communication, language and speech difficulties. Some children may have little or no speech at all while others may have well-developed vocabularies, but can only talk about topics that interest them. Many children show difficulties with understanding what is said to them. Autistic children of all ages have problems at some level with joining in socially. Autism is more common in boys than girls.
Speech and language therapists can play an important role in recognising features in a child’s communication that might be the result of autism and they can refer a child on to appropriate people such as a paediatrician, school doctor or the Child Development Team, so the right diagnosis can be made. It may seem unusual for a speech therapist to see a child who talks a lot, but this is very appropriate if the child has some social communication difficulties.
A diagnosis of autism is now often made when children are between 2 and 4 years old, but some children’s difficulties may not be recognised this early, especially if they are mild. Asperger’s Syndrome is often not diagnosed until junior school age, or even into teenage years.
Children with autism will need extra help to develop their communication and other skills. Speech and language therapists work with parents and other professionals, particularly teaching staff in school. Therapists may often advise adults around the child rather than working with the child directly, so that the child’s communication environment is adapted to his or her needs.
Therapy
Therapists will work with children at home, in a preschool setting, at clinic, mainstream primary or secondary school or special school. Not all children with autistic spectrum disorders will need input from a speech and language therapist and professionals will work in line with the autism best practice guidelines.
“Play Circles” and “PlayTogs” are examples of groups run in Cambridge and Huntingdon for preschool children with communication difficulties, and social skills and other groups may be held in schools.
Some therapists are licensed by the National Autistic Society to deliver the “EarlyBird” parent programme, which is run regularly in Cambridge and Huntingdon. Other specialist training includes Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), such as using visual symbols, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) or signing, if this is needed.
Although autism is a long term condition, it is likely that a child will not need speech and language therapy support indefinitely. When it is appropriate, and a setting such as school can meet a child’s communication needs, a therapist will discharge a child from therapy.