Autism-Related Communication Training – Insider Secrets from a Speech-Language Pathologist
This module on communication is designed as an adjunct to the National Autism Academy’s Essential Parenting Guidance Program for parents or the How To Be The Best Teacher to a Child with ASD (While Creating a Happy Classroom) for teachers, which define important concepts about the neurology and behavior of an individual with autism, and offer behavioral interventions and support for those who work with individuals on the autism spectrum, regardless of their level of language development.
Communication is very important functional aspect of our lives, and something that we use every day with people that we encounter at home, at school, at the park, or in the grocery store. We use communication everywhere we go.
Communication has several different and important purposes:
- With ourselves to self-talk
- To communicate our wants and needs to others
- To build rapport with others
- To relate to others in social environments
People with autism have varying levels of difficulty with communication. An individual can be completely nonverbal, have difficulty formulating and/or answering questions, can struggle to follow directions, can experience difficulty understanding figurative language, or simply struggle in social situations overall.
This training will provide you with some basic resources to facilitate communication in the home or at school, define terms often associated with autism and communication difficulties, teach some basic sign language, educate you about how a speech language pathologist might benefit your child, and help you to become a better advocate for your child in the area of language. It will also review some developmental milestones and the red flags associated with them.
Text and videos on the following topics are included in this training:
- Where speech-language pathologists work
- How a speech-language pathologist provides services
- The scope of the practice of a speech language Pathologist
- Common terms and definitions used by a speech-language pathologist
- Typical developmental norms for children
- Red flags when norms aren’t met
- Basic sign language
- A description of PECS
- How to work with Echolalia
- The most common feeding challenges
- Effective toys to promote language
- A hopeful outlook for parents
ONE ONLINE MODULE CONTAINING NINE LESSONS
1: Program Introduction
2: The World of Speech Language Pathology
3: Developmental Milestones and Red Flags in the 0-5 Population
4: Using Sign Language
5: Communicating with Non-Verbal Children Using PECS
6: Echolalia
7: Common Feeding Challenges
8: Toys that Promote Language
9: When to Seek Professional Help
About the Author: Carrie Bartholomew, M.S., CCC-SLP
Carrie Bartholomew is a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Texas Christian University in 2015 and earned a Master’s of Science in Communication Disorders and Sciences from Eastern Illinois University in 2017.
Ms. Bartholomew provides private and in-home speech therapy services to children of all ages and diagnoses. She enjoys collaborating with other therapists and families to provide the most effective and well-rounded therapy. Her clinical interests include autism spectrum disorder, augmentative alternative communication (AAC), and executive functioning.
