Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction and the presence of restricted, repetitive behaviors. Social communication deficits in autism spectrum disorder occur in various ways and include joint attention; Impairments in social reciprocity may include difficulties using verbal and nonverbal means of communication for social interaction.
Language and speech therapists work with individuals with ASD on the development of social communication, language and cognitive skills. The difficulties experienced by individuals with ASD in social communication, language and cognitive skills are listed below. Language and speech therapists identify the difficulties listed and provide therapy services for their development.
Social Communication Disorders
Joint Attention
Two or more people focus on the same object or event together. Limitations in joint attention in individuals with ASD;
-Difficulty in orienting towards people in the social environment
-Less participation in activities that require joint attention
-Inviting others to activities that require joint attention It is limited in doing so.
-Difficulty in identifying factors related to the cause of one's own and others' emotional states
Social Reciprocity:
It is a back-and-forth interaction in which people's behaviors affect each other. Limitations in social reciprocity in individuals with ASD;
-Difficulty in initiating communication for interaction
-Problems in responding appropriately to the incoming interaction request
-Social context and the interaction of others Difficulty in starting and maintaining a sensitive conversation about their situation
- Difficulty in following the interaction sequentially
- Difficulty in recognizing and correcting breaks/interruptions in communication.
Social Cognition:
It refers to the mental processes related to perceiving, participating, thinking and making sense of the people around us and the events experienced with them. Deficiencies in social cognition in individuals with ASD;
-Difficulties in understanding and regulating emotions
-Limitation in being able to foresee others' perspectives
-Recognizing social rules and complying with them moire Difficulty in processing
- Difficulty in understanding the difference between one's own emotion and the other person's emotion.
- Difficulty in making sense by integrating various information in context.
Disorders in Language and Cognitive Skills
Language and cognitive disorders that may be seen in individuals with ASD;
Delayed or disrupted language development
-More loss of previously learned/used words
-Delayed acquisition of words representing social stimuli such as verbs and people's names (first words are usually nouns and attributes)
-Echolalia
-More receptive language skills than expressive language
Weakness in non-verbal communication skills
-Delayed acquisition of facial expression, body language, gestures
-Use of unusual gestures (pulling instead of showing, use of a meaningless gesture instead of the gesture used for the act of giving)
-Limitation in interpreting gestures, facial expressions and body language in the environment
Limitation in sound production and use
-Atypical responses to voices coming from the caregiver directed at oneself
-Atypical vocal productions
-Use of a monotonous tone of voice during speech
Symbolic play and continuation Difficulty in making use of objects/toys
-Delayed acquisition of functional use of objects/toys
-Difficulty in developing creative games (playing repetitive and inflexible games)
-Limited participation in games that require interaction providing
Difficulty in continuing the conversation
-Faulty productions in the appropriate voice level, emphasis and intonation during the conversation
-Difficulty in adjusting the timing of the speech
-Providing inappropriate and unnecessary information during the conversation
-Providing information with less detail than necessary
-Difficulty in identifying common interest and determining the topics included in this topic
-Special interest Tendency to talk about the field
-Difficulty in realizing that an explanation is requested
-Providing incomplete answers to the questions asked
-Limitation in understanding and using idioms, polysemous words and metaphors
Difficulty in reading and writing
-difficulty in using books functionally
- Difficulty in understanding comparative, persuasive, texts that require different perspectives
-Difficulty in understanding the main idea, summarizing and giving sufficient information while writing
Insufficiency in executive function
-Weak problem solving skills
-Weak planning and organization ability
-Difficulty in inhibition
-Limitation in expanding events
Language and Speech Assessment
p>During the evaluation session, the speech and language therapist examines the individual with ASD within the framework of social communication, verbal and non-verbal language, speaking, written language, alternative communication method and feeding-swallowing skills. During the evaluation, the Surgeon receives intensive information from the family and makes observations, and when necessary, can make direct contact with the individual with ASD.
What are the Goals of Therapy?
The purpose of the therapy is to include social communication and other language skills. developing skills and changing behaviors so that the individual can develop better relationships, function effectively in social environments, and actively participate in daily life.
It should not be forgotten that increasing the effectiveness of the therapies and ensuring their reflection in daily life is possible with the participation of valuable families.
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