Speech and Language Therapy Centre in Bangalore, Hulimavu | CAPAAR

1. WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND MOTOR ISSUES ? Written By DR. P. SUMITHA HEMAVATHY (PT) Founder & Director - CAPAAR

2. Speech - Language Therapy It is interesting to observe that some individuals with Autism do not or very rarely speak while the rest may be very keen to talk but do come across challenges using and understanding the nuances of language and nonverbal forms of communication during their interaction with others. This is why the majority of the behavioral intensive therapy includes speech & language therapy within their program. This comes with a combination of various techniques that address a range of speech-language challenges faced by persons with autism. The primary goal of Speech-language therapy is to help the person communicate in more useful and functional ways. This therapy is designed to synchronize the mechanics of speech with the social use of language. This therapy starts with an individual evaluation by a speech-language pathologist who undertakes a detailed evaluation of an individual’s verbal aptitude skills and challenges.

3. Based on this evaluation, the pathologist may go for the task of defining goals that may include improving spoken language and/or working on nonverbal modes of communication such as signs or gestures. The speech language therapy may involve pathologist offering therapy face to face that can be designed in a small group or even in a kind of classroom like setting. You should know that these therapists who will be working with children have a specially trained for this additionally. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Persons with autism particularly with verbal challenges can see benefits from a variety of augmentative and alternative communicative devices and methods. The (PECS) Picture Exchange Communication System is among the most widely used with children and adults who have little or no verbal ability.

5. Building of vocabulary, teaching ways to effectively articulate their daily needs and developing observations and feelings through pictures, all this can be helped through the co-ordinated effort of Therapists, teachers and parents. And this method can be used to teach at home, in the classroom and a variety of other settings. Initially in PECS program, the instructor teaches the child with autism how to make an exchange a picture for an object—for example, a picture of a pencil for an actual pencil. The idea behind this exercise is to teach them to distinguish between pictures and symbols and also make use of both to form sentences. Although this technique is designed on visual tools, it interestingly reinforces verbal communication. Care givers have the option of choosing books with standard images or even collect images from everyday news papers and magazines as well for the program.

7. Occupational Therapy - OT OT aims at developing age appropriate skills – the independence and the confidence to live life in a more involving complete manner for a person with autism. It focuses on the trio of cognitive, physical and motor skills gaining. OT often focuses on skills for play or leisure skills, learning and self management. OT starts with a detailed evaluation of the person's developmental level as well as related learning patterns, social skills and environmental needs, all this undertaken by a certified Occupational Therapist. The goal setting and choice of strategy to enhance the skills is formed upon this evaluation. The emphasis will be placed on those areas needing improvement. The duration of OT depends on the individual child or adults needs, which typically will be between 30 to 60 minutes. Beyond the classes the things taught during the sessions is practiced at home and even in their school as well.

9. Sensory Integration Therapy For majority number of children and adults with autism processing of movement, touch, smell, sight and sound etc which are part of sensory integration stay very challenging. Such challenges and disruptions are identified through Sensory integration therapy identifies which makes use of  a variety of methods that work on improving how the brain interprets and integrates this information. Typically Sensory Integration Therapy is delivered as a part of OT or delivered separately. The Therapist starts here too with a detailed evaluation to determine a person’s sensory response levels. Based on this information, the therapist designs a program that matches sensory stimulation with physical movement to improve how the brain processes incoming information. Usually the therapy may include equipments like swings, trampolines and slides.

10. Better social interaction/social skills and improved presence are usually the key results of sensory integration therapy. During the therapy the Family members and teachers often may start discovering that it can calm an affected child or adult, bring back positive behavior and even help with smoother transitions between activities, which earlier may have seemed too much to expect.

12. Physical Therapy - PT Physical Therapy focuses on problems with movement that lead to real life limitations. It also aims at improving muscle tone that may have been poor, issues with balance and coordination. Since a good number of children and adults with autism may have disruption among motor skills such as sitting, walking, jumping etc. Physical Evaluation on the physical abilities by a certified therapists being the first step. This lets them pick the target areas they then move to the designing of programs of activities that address the areas of physical weakness and challenge. 30 to 60 minute is the usual therapy session duration which comes with assisted movement, various forms of exercise and the use of orthopedic equipment. Now whether it’s a child or an adult receiving the therapy determines how frequently the sessions are supposed to be planned.

13. Dr. P. Sumitha Hemavathy (PT) Founder & Director (CAPAAR) Centre for Advanced Pediatric And Adult Rehabilitation

14. CONCLUSION To Know More Let's Connect www.capaar4autism.com