Non-Verbal Autism – Overcoming The Obstacle And Initiating A Dialogue

The fact that their child suffers from “Autism Spectrum Disorder” is not often easily conceived by the parents. The symptoms of ASD are exhibited as early as 18 months in a child. Detecting the symptoms at the early stages greatly dictates the future of the child. Right treatment from the right time will ease the symptoms of ASD in a child.

The uneven development is shown in the Autistic children right at the infancy stage. Some of the developmental delays are observed in speech, language, cognitive skills and social interactions. The symptoms of ASD varies from individual to individual with changing degrees of severity. Primarily,  the problem areas are:

·        Verbal and non-verbal interactions

·        Unattentiveness

·        Inability to stir response due to sensory issues

Autistic children who are showcase symptoms of non-verbal autism struggle with the ability to use the language in a meaningful way. They learn a few words but not to frame complete sentences.  They are unable to use any spoken language. Below are the few examples that describe the attributes of non-verbal autism :

·        In verbal autism, when individuals try to convey a message they tend to use significant words that unveil the meaning of what they intend to convey. However, they are never able to convey the message in the form of an entire statement. In situations where the individual would like to go on a drive, they just say out the word “car”.

·        The autistic child with non-verbal autism tends to mimic the dialogues from TV commercials, songs, phrases that they pick up in their day to day life. These phrases often do not convey what they feel or intend to convey. Autistic children are more prone to frustration owing to their obvious difficulties. In such scenarios,  the child keeps repeating these phrases as a self-calming strategy.

·        Despite the inability of the non-verbal autistic children to execute normal verbal communication, they are effective in communicating through sign language and written language. They often grasp more than what they communicate.

Fighting the challenge of enhanced conversation

In order to ensure the well being of a child, it is vital that the child is at least able to convey its needs and wants. The non-verbal autism individuals suffer from a condition where they acquire an oral-motor disorder that limits their ability to execute normal speech. Intervention by Speech therapists through an array of treatment strategy can aid the Autistic children in overcoming communication disruption. Speech therapists adopt treatment techniques to work on speech pragmatics and language skills used in social interactions.

Speech therapist in Bangalore evaluate the individuals and on the basis of the functional level of the individuals, the Speech therapists focus on specific parameters such as:

·        Gestures and body language: Through interactive sessions, the speech therapist in Bangalore help autistic individuals to understand physical gestures in social interactions.

·        Social interactions skills: Speech therapists take up action plans such as music, art, and occupational therapy to enhance social interaction skills. Thereby encouraging the child to participate in an unprompted conversation with friends and family.

·        Prosody: Flat prosody is one of the features of Autistic individuals. This issue is often dealt with by a Speech therapist in Bangalore through music therapy. By mimicking the melodies of the song, the individuals are able to advance their speech and vocal skills.

A specialized treatment program through speech therapy is crucial so that ASD individuals are able to lead a quality life.

For more information visit: www.capaar4autism.com