Speech-language therapy can help people with autism spectrum disorder improve their abilities to communicate and interact with others.
Verbal Skills
This type of therapy can help some people improve their spoken or verbal skills, such as:
- Correctly naming people and things
- Better explaining feelings and emotions
- Using words and sentences better
- Improving the rate and rhythm of speech
Nonverbal Communication
Speech-language therapy can also teach nonverbal communication skills, such as:
- Using hand signals or sign language
- Using picture symbols to communicate (Picture Exchange Communication System)
Speech-language therapy activities can also include social skills and normal social behaviors. For example, a child might learn how to make eye contact or to stand at a comfortable distance from another person. These skills make it a little easier to interact with others.