Language exercises for patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) typically experience challenges with communication and social skills. These challenges can be very different depending on the individual. Some people with ASD may be nonverbal, while others may have difficulty speaking or be hard to understand. People with ASD often have trouble developing friendships and relationships due to these challenges. Autism Spectrum Disorder is of course, a spectrum. It can be mild to severe, and affect everyday life in different ways for each person with autism.

Communication Challenges

People with ASD may have a variety of challenges with language and communication. These challenges can include the following:

• Comprehending language spoken by others
• Expressing themselves through speech
• Understanding gestures like waving or pointing
• Following instructions
• Reading or writing
• Holding conversations

Individuals with ASD may express themselves in ways that many people don’t understand. For example, they may repeat words or phrases that they’ve heard previously, or they may speak in a monotone voice.

How can an SLP help someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) can help patients with ASD with many skills surrounding communication. The goal is not to make people with ASD conform to a certain standard, but simply to help improve the patient’s life by focusing on their strengths and helping to ease communication.

SLPs can work with patients on social skills, such as getting along with others, having conversations, and communicating through reading and writing.

SLPs may also help family members and caregivers to communicate and play with a child with ASD more effectively. This may include conversations, helping loved ones understand what the child is expressing, and assisting the child to complete tasks while still allowing them to make discoveries and figure things out on their own.

For teenagers and adults with ASD, an SLP can help them with communication skills and strategies for school and the workplace, such as writing essays, resumes, and cover letters, as well as interviewing, communicating with peers, and advocating for accommodations at school or work.

Language and Social Cognition Exercises

SLPs can use many different methods to help patients learn new communication skills. One of the tools that can help patients is digital cognitive exercises to work on language and social cognition skills. HappyNeuron Pro offers digital language exercises, and social cognition exercises such as “I Remember You.”

Worksheets can offer a more tactile experience, which some individuals may prefer. HappyNeuron offers language worksheets and social cognition worksheets to exercise these skills.

Conclusion

We hope this article is helpful for family members and caretakers of individuals with ASD, as well as SLPs and other clinicians who are seeking ways to help patients with ASD. The key points to remember are:

• People with autism usually experience some level of difficulty with communication, which can be mild to severe. This can include verbal communication, reading and writing, and gestures.
• An SLP can help individuals with autism to practice communication and conversation skills, reading and writing, and advocating for themselves. 
• SLPs can also help to bridge communication gaps between individuals with ASD and family members/caretakers
• HappyNeuron offers exercises that SLPs can use with patients who have ASD to work on communication and social cognition skills.