Top 5 Most Common Autism Questions
Speech therapy can be an amazing resource for autistic toddlers. Often toddlers begin in speech therapy before starting with other early intervention services, and as a parent you have tons of questions!
Here’s a list of the Top 5 questions asked by parents of autistic toddlers in speech therapy.
1. Is my child going to talk?
As an early intervention speech therapist, this is one of the most common questions I get asked by all parents. And any good speech therapist will answer, “We don’t know.”
This question usually prompts a conversation about a child’s roadmap to growing their communication skills. And each roadmap will be different because each child is unique.
It helps to lay out each child’s roadmap so we can celebrate each step in their communication journey, rather than putting all the focus on talking. Some of the most common steps that precede talking are making requests in your own way, using specific gestures (including baby sign language), and imitating sounds.
And not all roadmaps will end with talking; some children with autism communicate non-verbally (without words). AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) is commonly used by people with autism to express their wants, needs, and ideas beyond what they are able to communicate by talking. There are many different types of AAC. For example, a child may use pictures on an iPad app to express their wants, needs, and ideas. Some children will use AAC as a long term communication tool and some use AAC as a stepping stone towards saying more words.
The most important thing to know is that working on gestures, learning baby sign language (or ASL), and using Alternative and Augmentative Communication will NOT keep your child from talking. Research shows that the use of specific gestures and AAC often results in children learning to say new words more quickly.
2. Will they be in special education?
We don’t know.
I know this answer might be frustrating, so let me explain more.
In the US, Kindergarten enrollment in special education is typically 5 or 6 years old, and so your focus (as best you can) should be on where your child is now. As your child receives support and you practice at home, your child’s pathway has the potential to change greatly before kindergarten enrollment.
That said, there are many children with autism who do enroll in school within “special education.” There are many different levels of special education, depending on the amount of support your child benefits from. Sometimes children are in a regular classroom and have a teacher come in a few hours a week to give extra support. Some children spend part of their day in a special education classroom. Some children spend their full day in a special education classroom. The spectrum is very broad and often changes over time as they advance in their school career.
3. How long will my child need therapy if they get diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder?
Again, I know this answer is VERY frustrating... but the truth is that we don’t know.
I heard a phrase years ago in my career that “When you’ve met one child with autism, you’ve met one child with autism.” Think about that. It means that every child (or teen or adult) with autism is unique and different, with different strengths, skills, challenges and difficulties. Parents often ask me “Have you seen a child like mine before?” and I use this quote to explain that no two children with autism are exactly alike, just like no two children are exactly alike, period!
So to answer your question about therapy, it depends. It depends on the type of therapy and the therapy goals written specifically for your child. Most children with autism do receive therapy, but the type and length of time is highly variable.
Therapy is often the most successful when a family is involved and practices therapy goals at home. A child may also have periods where they attend therapy, and periods where they take a therapy break to generalize skills in the home/community environment. It’s OK to take a break from therapy, and when given time to rest and have fun, they often are more engaged after returning from a break. Breaks can be planned in conjunction with your speech therapist. And children who participate in speech therapy at school will have built in breaks.
4. What is my child’s future going to look like?
We really don’t know; because as we said before every person with autism is unique. While it is undoubtedly hard to have uncertainties about your child’s future, I want you to be optimistic that your child will continue to develop with support and any therapies they need. This is important because we know that your child’s future is not determined by what someone else’s life with autism looks like.
But I also want you to be realistic, that a child (teen, and adult) with autism has differences which may make some aspects (or many aspects) of their life more challenging. It is important to find a team of professionals that is ready to support you and your child on this journey, to guide and support you both.
5. And what can I do at home starting today to help my child with their speech?
The answer to this question is twofold - Do your speech therapy homework activities AND continue to have fun doing your families regular activities.
Lot’s of time mom and dad guilt takes over and families are too good at doing their therapy homework activities. They begin to turn everything into at home therapy sessions because they just want to do everything possible to help their child.
However, remembering to keep some activities simply for fun is important! This helps to give children (and parents) a break and prevent burnout, which is important because when children are fatigued they will often be more frustrated and less engaged when you are practicing new skills at home.
If you are not yet receiving support services for your child, you can start off with our free Toddler Talk Assessment and at home activity plan. We will provide you with customized lessons and activities to meet your child where they’re at so you can start growing their speech today!
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© 2020-2023. Stephanie Keffer, MS CCC-SLP. All Rights Reserved.The content offered on ToddlerTalk.com is for informational purposes only. Toddler Talk is not engaged in rendering professional advice, whether medical or otherwise, to individual users or their children or families. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor, speech language pathologist, or other health professional. By accessing the content on ToddlerTalk.com, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting the responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. In return for providing you with information related to home speech and language practice, you waive any claims that you or your child may have as a result of utilizing the content on ToddlerTalk.com.