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Speech-language therapy can help people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) improve their abilities to communicate and interact with others.1
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
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 ways to improve social skills and 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.
Citations
Paul, R. (2008). Interventions to improve communication in autism. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinics of North America, 17(4), 835–856.