FREE HOW TO TALK TO AN AUSTISTIC KID PDF Daniel Stefanski | 48 pages | 01 Apr 2011 | Free Spirit Publishing Inc.,U.S. | 9781575423654 | English | Minneapolis, United States What to Say: Answers for Kids With Autism (for Kids) - Nemours KidsHealth Approximately one third of children with autism are nonverbal. This means that they never learn to speak more than a few words in their lives. The primary identifying aspect for nonverbal autism is to determine whether or not the individual speaks clearly or without interference. Although there are individuals with autism that may struggle How to Talk to an Austistic Kid having a back-and-forth conversation, these are not nonverbal autistic people. Autistic children could lose the ability to speak later on as the symptoms of the disorder worsen over time. The individual could also be suffering from apraxia. This can cause the person to not be able to say what they actually want to say. Autistic individuals could also suffer from echolaliawhich is repetition of words and phrases. This could also hinder clear communication. Read: How to treat Echolalia in a Child with Autism. Social symptoms: Social interaction difficulties are a hallmark symptom for autism spectrum disorder. Individuals generally avoid eye contact. These could cause the individual to feel left How to Talk to an Austistic Kid and isolated, and may lead depression. Developmental symptoms: Each individual is unique. Every autistic person develops at a different rate. While a child can develop at a typical rate, their developmental progress could be delayed after the age of 2 or 3. This could be the case for speech as well. Behavioral symptoms: Individuals with autism strictly stick to routines. Interruptions in these routines or schedules could upset them. Some have really specific interests and obsessions about certain objects and topics. They may have How to Talk to an Austistic Kid short attention span, causing their focus to switch from one thing to another, which could affect communication. Behavioral symptoms really differ for each person. Not all individuals show the same symptoms, and symptoms may improve with age. With age, they become less disruptive and severe. Through speech therapy and speech interventions, nonverbal autistic children could become verbal in time with the right and continuous help and support. A nonverbal autistic 2 year old may not respond when their name is called A nonverbal autistic 3 year old may not play pretend A nonverbal autistic 4 year old may repeat words and phrases that are not meaningful A nonverbal autistic 5 year old may have trouble interpreting gestures in communication setting. The definitive cause of autism is still being studied. However, research suggests that there is no single cause for the disorder. These factors are How to Talk to an Austistic Kid to impact and increase the risk of a child developing autism spectrum disorder. Genetic risk factors: Genetics were found to affect the risk of some forms of autism. It is known that if an individual has a sibling or a parent with ASD, they are more likely to develop the disorder. In addition, some medical conditions were linked to autism spectrum disorder. Genetic disorders such as Fragile X syndrome are included in these conditions. Environmental risk factors: Some experts suggest that exposure to heavy metals and toxins in the environment may raise the risk of developing ASD. Also, CDC indicates that children born to older parents are at higher risk for developing autism spectrum disorder. Certain prescription drugs such as thalidomide and valproic acid have been linked to autism development as well. As can be seen, both genetics and environment could determine whether a child will develop autism or not. Autism is NOT caused by vaccines. An abundance of research conducted on the matter concluded that the disorder is not caused by vaccines. The infamous study done in suggesting a link between autism and measles, mumps, and rubella MMR vaccine has been debunked multiple times and retracted in There is no specific single test that determines nonverbal autism. A multi-phase process is conducted to diagnose the disorder. When your child is at the pediatrician, they will be the first healthcare providers to assess for ASD. The pediatrician then could request various tests to rule out other possible causes for the concerning How to Talk to an Austistic Kid. Pediatricians then refer your child to a specialist if they suspect autism spectrum disorder. Specialists will evaluate the medical history of the child How to Talk to an Austistic Kid well as the parents. After all of the extensive testing, autism-specific tests may be used to confirm the diagnosis of the disorder. Some others may speak while also having limited language and communication skills. How to Talk to an Austistic Kid occurs when a newborn is practicing for speech, so to say. They open and close their mouths, move their tongues in different ways. People with autism sometimes produce certain nonsensical speech sounds. These are called jargon. Sometimes they are self- stimulatory behaviors. Generally, they are not used to communicating with others. The rate of babbling in nonverbal autistic individuals is low compared to their typically developed peers. However, babbling could represent precursors to speech in an autistic child with speech-language delay. If a nonverbal child with autism babbles along with eye contact or gestures directed towards other people, this behavior could be worked on to be used as a tool for meaningful social and communication exchanges. Each individual develops at their own rate. Here are some:. Although there is no cure for autism, there are therapies and interventions that will help the individual to be able to communicate. It is important to remember that each child is unique. One effort that works with one child may not be helpful for another. In addition, although a child with autism can learn to communicate, this may not alway be through spoken language. Nonverbal autistic individuals can have and live fulfilling and comfortable lives with the help of therapies and assistance. Medicine: There is no medicine that will specifically cure autism. However, certain medication could help alleviate related symptoms and conditions. The child could have anxiety or depression, and How to Talk to an Austistic Kid could help with these. Counselling: Parents and caregivers as well as the siblings of the individual with autism could really benefit from therapy. Through counselling, they can learn to cope with the challenges of nonverbal autism, and how to approach the situation to How to Talk to an Austistic Kid positive outcomes. Education: Children with autism respond really well to structured sessions. These sessions could help them develop skills and behaviors that will be beneficial in communication. They can gain social and language skills while also getting education and working on their development. Nonverbal children with autism could have a comfortable and quality life. It is important that with the right help, they could equip themselves with the necessary skills to live their life normally. Although nonverbal, children with autism use other methods to communicate. Certain strategies, which we will discuss here, could be used to leverage these methods and add on to them. Not being able to speak to communicate should not be seen as a setback, but as a challenge that could be overcome. Although there is no magic cure to achieve speech, your child could go a long way with your support. Once they understand and learn a way to express what they are feeling, be it verbal or nonverbal, they will have a more positive attitude towards communication. Autistic children with verbal communication generally hit language milestones later than children with typical development. While typically developing children produce their first words between 12 and 18 months old, autistic children were found to do so at an average of 36 months. Since each autistic child is unique in their development, the age when they produce their first words differs. Until recently, parents and caregivers of children with autism were made to believe that their child would not speak ever if they did not do so by the time they turn 4 or five. However, a recent study showed that most of the children participating in the study acquired language skills, and almost half of them became fluent speakers. This indicates that language-delayed children with autism could eventually develop speech. It is a lifelong condition that impacts major aspects of the individual. However, it is possible to manage signs and symptoms. There are certain techniques How to Talk to an Austistic Kid can try to encourage your nonverbal child to communicate. Here are a couple:. Encourage social interaction and play: Play, especially pretend play, is a great tool to teach children language skills. This will create fun opportunities for your child to communicate. You can also try certain activities like singing to promote social interaction. Make sure that it is easier for your child to see and hear you clearly during these activities. However, it is important to give the child the opportunity to gather their thoughts and to communicate. This may not alway happen through speaking. But when you ask a question, just wait a few seconds. Observe your child for the sounds and the gestures they make. When they make an attempt, be prompt to respond so that they will get the idea and feel like they are communicating. Describe what they are doing with the object of interest. How to Teach an Autistic Child to Talk - 10 Tips for Parents Since one of the classic symptoms of autism is a marked deficit in verbal communication abilities, a common problem for applied behavior analysts and others who work with children and even adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder is simply being able to carry on a basic conversation.