Children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) have brain features that cause difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication due to their specific perception of the world.
Autistic children are characterized by self-lockedness, stereotypical behavior, problems with expressing emotions and social interactions.
Correctional work for children with autism should begin as early as possible to maximize compensation for the impairment of skills necessary for independent life in society.
Deviations in the development of verbal and non-verbal communication in children with autism spectrum disorders
- Mutism (complete or partial absence of speech while the speech apparatus is intact). Children may make exclamations, mumble in stressful, emotional situations, and in other cases remain silent and do not respond to speech, or talk to loved ones – remain silent with strangers and in an unknown environment. The ability to understand speech is usually preserved.
- Echolalia – mindless repetition of heard words and sounds. The child may repeat quotes from favorite cartoons, adult speeches, just heard somewhere sounds, and often without any purpose and understanding of their meaning.
- Failure to use speech to communicate. Children with autism may not understand the value of communication between people, so they do not try to learn to talk and use gestures. Autistic children may also avoid hugs and tactile interactions with adults and peers.
- Difficulties with dialog and the ability to carry on a conversation with well-developed speech. Children can make monologues on a topic of interest without noticing the interlocutor’s lines and his/her interest in communication.
- Absence of the pronoun “I” in relation to themselves. Autistic children tend to talk about themselves in the second or third person, may not respond to their name, have difficulties in using the pronouns “Yes” and “No”.
- Violation of the grammatical structure of speech. Children with autistic disorder often build sentences incorrectly, have difficulty in declensions and conjugations, and change the places of letters and syllables in words.
- Avoidance of eye contact. Children with autism do not look into the eyes of the interlocutor and try to use peripheral vision in interpersonal contacts.
- Difficulties in expressing their own feelings and emotions, as well as the feelings and emotions of others. Such children do not read facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice and body language of others, they cannot understand that a person is upset or in pain. Similarly, a child with autism is unable to express his or her own emotions correctly, which often manifests itself in tantrums and aggression.
- Limited range of contacts and interests. Children with autism like predictability and repetition in actions and behavior. Often new situations in life frighten them and cause panic, which is why it is so important for parents to keep routines and introduce new things gradually.
- Literal understanding of words. Difficulty understanding figurative meaning, subtext, metaphors, irony and sarcasm. Autistic children have difficulties with imagination and only understand the direct meaning of the address.
A child will not necessarily have all of the above features, their manifestation may vary from individual to individual. Autism has a spectrum ranging from minor impairment in communication and social functions to severe abnormalities in intellectual development.
Speech development in children with autism
Due to the peculiarities of the psyche, autistic children often have problems with speech – this is manifested already in the first years of life. Such children do not realize that with the help of speech and communication you can quickly get what you want and influence others, so they make do with gestures and shouting.
However, the right approach and specialized techniques can significantly facilitate the process of speech and communication development in children with autistic disorders.
Methods and approaches for the development of communication in children with autism
1. Augmentative or alternative communication (AAC). The use of AAC helps a non-speaking child to communicate his/her feelings and needs, while adults say aloud every action, every object in a picture or verbally decode the child’s address to them – all this often stimulates the development of verbal speech, because he/she gets what he/she wants faster and easier, communication gives him/her more positive emotions, and the value of human communication becomes clear to the child.
Alternative means of communication for children with autism:
- The PECS system is a communication system for exchanging picture cards. The autistic child shows them to the other person to express needs, feelings and wishes.
- Sign language. It can be used to teach children with ASD together with any action by voice. In this way the child perceives speech in an integrated way, in a single configuration of words and gestures – this is called total communication.
- Communication devices with speech synthesizer. These are electronic devices with speech playback, they voice the word that the user clicked on. For more advanced children there are applications-communicators for tablets and phones, which can collect thousands of pictures and situations suitable for communication.
2. Working with a speech therapist. Specialized exercises and techniques developed by speech therapists can significantly improve speech and articulation. By repeating articulation exercises after the specialist, an autistic child learns to pronounce sounds and syllables correctly. The speech therapist also develops the child’s phonemic hearing and perception, develops understanding of correct sentence construction, develops fine and gross motor skills.
3.Social stories. These are scenarios describing various social situations that help the child to better understand how to interact with others. A child with autism has a hard time perceiving a change of environment and cannot orient quickly, so all new social interactions, such as going to the clinic, shopping, visiting or going to school, should be “played” in the form of social stories beforehand. These are usually in the form of illustrated books or cards, which adults together with the child arrange by order of actions.
Children with autistic disorder perceive visual information more easily, so the main focus is on cards, visual schedules or modern applications and programs for teaching children with autism, which can be a great addition to classical teaching methods.
The role of play in communication development
Play is a natural and essential way for children to explore the world, and for children with autism, it can become a powerful tool for developing communication. Structured and guided play, such as role-playing games, puppet theater, or interactive storytelling, helps children learn social norms, recognize emotions, and practice turn-taking and dialogue. Through play, therapists and caregivers can model appropriate behavior and speech, reinforce vocabulary, and create safe opportunities for children to express themselves. Sensory-friendly toys, visual aids, and predictable game routines can be especially effective in engaging children with ASD and encouraging spontaneous communication in a low-pressure setting.
Conclusion
The development of speech and communication in children with autism spectrum disorders requires a comprehensive, individualized and systematic approach. Despite the difficulties, it is possible to make significant progress in the development of communication skills if correctional work is started in a timely manner, using auxiliary communication aids, speech therapy techniques and visual support. The main thing is to take into account the characteristics of each child, to create a predictable and safe environment for him/her, to maintain a positive motivation for interaction and step by step to unlock his/her potential. Cooperation between parents, specialists and teachers plays a key role in the successful socialization and development of a child with autism.
