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Language Intervention for School-Aged Children
Spoken language remains the most efficient means of communication. The ability to speak functionally with others consistently and robustly predicts positive life outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Howlin et al., 2004). Not surprisingly, most interventions have focused on...
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What NOT to Say…
It’s easy to say the wrong thing to someone, even when you have the best of intentions. Everyone has done it, and whether you realize it yourself or someone points it out to you, mistakes like these don’t feel good. All of us learn social and communication skills from many sources, including...
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Strategies to Support Communication and Address Challenging Behaviors
Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities who face the greatest challenges most often have failed to acquire strategies to support communication. Most adults and children alike without verbal behavior are likely to develop a strong repertoire of challenging behavior. The young...
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A Group-Format Parent Training Program to Improve Communication Skills in Young Children with ASD
The first few years of life are an important period for communication and language development. Even before the emergence of spoken language, typically-developing children engage in communicative interchanges with caregivers through gaze, directed facial expressions, gestures, and vocalizations....
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Three Strategies to Strengthen Communication for Adults with Autism and Learning Differences
Communication is an essential skill that contributes to success with relationships. Individuals with ASD particularly focus on growth in their communicative skills for a majority of their lives. With young adulthood comes the combination of self-identity development and the presentation of more...
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Building Communication Competence through Milieu Speech-Language Therapy
Speech and language therapy treatment is typically viewed in two ways: pull-out versus push-in. Pull-out therapy occurs outside of the student’s classroom for an allotted amount of time, typically without his or her peers, while push-in therapy, in the school setting, is when services are...
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Improving Communications with Children with Autism and Special Needs Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication Strategies
As a paediatrician, we are taught that the developmental progress of a three to four-year-old child should include well over 500 words and that a child should be able to describe things and situations in a meaningful way. This milestone is one that all parents strive for as it is an important part...
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An Overview of Communication Problems in Children with ASD
What is autism spectrum disorder? Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges. The term “spectrum” refers to the wide range of symptoms, skills, and levels of impairment that people with ASD can...
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The Development of Theatre Arts to Facilitate Social and Communication Skills for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder
There is an emerging though limited body of research demonstrating the effectiveness of theatre-related activities to facilitate social and communication skills, teach emotional recognition and expression, non-verbal behaviors and gestures, listening and conversation skills, eye contact, as well as...
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Improving Communication Skills: Using Behavior Analytic Science Effectively
Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often face significant challenges learning socially appropriate and effective communication skills. Because these challenges are present across all ages and stages of development, programming targets can range from communicating basic wants and needs to...
