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There’s More to Communication than Language, Grammar, and Vocabulary
Autism, in the general sense, is often defined as a disorder involving deficits of communication. This is certainly true for nonverbal autistics, as well as for those who cannot be “reached” even though they are capable of expressing speech. What about those autistics who are fully verbal and...
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Communication Modality Decisions for Individuals with ASD
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have complex needs, and their challenges include social deficits, communication difficulties, and behavioral challenges (APA, 2017). The needs of individuals with ASD necessitate the expertise of several professions, including behavior analysis and...
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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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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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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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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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Evaluation and Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a generally life-long neurodevelomental disorder characterized by impairments in social communication and social interaction and the presence of restricted and repetitive behavior. There is significant heterogeneity among individuals with ASD, and symptoms of ASD...
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Fragile X Drug Trial Gets $11.5 Million in NIH Funding – UC Davis Mind Institute to Research Promising Therapy for Language Learning
The UC Davis MIND Institute and Rush University Medical Center have been awarded $11.5 million from the National Institutes of Health to test a new therapy designed to improve language learning for children fragile X syndrome. Fragile X syndrome is a single-gene disorder and the most common...
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To Speak or Not to Speak Only English
As families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) become more culturally and linguistically diverse, they often seek clarity about bilingualism and its effects on their children’s communication patterns. They are apprehensive about speaking to their children in their language other...
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Giving Logan a Voice – One Father’s Trailblazing Creation to Help His Son
Logan was born in 1997 and is now aged 18 - what a journey we have all had! He was born 2 years after Maia, his sister, and in the early years developed as we expected him to. He was a very easy baby, sleeping soundly with very little disruption. His motor development was normal and early language...
