Autism can present many physical, emotional, and language challenges for the children affected by it. In this post we’re going to focus on the speech and language related characteristics of autism and how speech therapy can help. Repeating Words Just Said (Echolalia) Echolalia is the repetition of words by a child learning to talk or…
First, let’s start off with what Childhood Apraxia is. Childhood Apraxia of Speech or CAS is a motor speech disorder which makes it difficult for children to speak sounds, syllables, and words. CAS is when a child’s brain can’t seem to process the necessary steps in order to use language proficiently. This happens when the brain…
Executive function skills are a set off mental processes that allow us to perform in all areas of life including academic, home, social and vocational. Children and adults may experience difficulties with the following executive function skills: attention/focus, planning, organization, memory, initiating, sequencing, telling stories, self-regulation, decision making, problem solving, persistence, mental flexibility, self control,…
Individuals with reading comprehension difficulty may be fluent readers, but that ability is usually covering their deeper disorder in processing the true awareness and complexity of what they read. Meanwhile, individuals with dyslexia likely have strong oral language skills and average comprehension, but struggle with phonological memory and awareness; this limits ability to make connections…
While most infants have trouble when they first learn to drink from cups and eat solid foods, a child who has a feeding disorder will continue to have these issues. Symptoms may include: Discomfort with breath or posture when feeding; overall refusal to eat or drink; sucking, chewing, coughing and swallowing problems; hoarse voice after…
Pragmatic Language refers to the use of language within the social “rules” we culturally and collectively follow when communicating. Learning pragmatics involves many key factors, such as how to shift tone and language based on environment, how to take turns during conversation, and how to communicate non-verbally in appropriate ways. Symptoms usually include: Difficulty with…
A child with CAS understands what needs to be said. However, CAS is a condition which does not allow the brain to move mouth muscles along with those thoughts. If a child is younger than three years old, first words can be delayed, there are very few cooing or other sounds made by the child…
Stuttering is a speech disorder marked by disruptions in the normal flow of speech. These disruptions, referred to as disfluencies, often include the following: People who stutter may experience repetitions (D-d-d-dog) Prolongations (Mmmmmmilk) Use of fillers (“um”, “like”) Blocks (an absence of sound) Many people can experience some combination of these sounds. The severity of…