AAC: Speech Devices for Autism

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For a child with autism, communication can be a challenging and difficult hurdle to manage. For some children, verbal communication may simply be an impossible or ineffective means of communicating. For these circumstances, an augmentative/alternative communication device (AAC) may be an answer.

What is AAC?

AAC is an acronym for Augmentative Alternative Communication and describes a communication tool that is substituted for traditional expressive speech to allow a child to communicate. These tools can be low-tech like PECs or an eye gaze board or they can be high-tech speech generating devices. Many insurance companies will cover AAC devices with the proper paperwork.

Use of AAC with Autism

AAC devices can be used at any age and across many settings. Research has been shown to support growth in attention, communicative initiation, expressive and receptive language and pragmatic skill development through use of an AAC.

Many children with autism acquire language early in life and regress quite suddenly. Other children with autism simply develop very few words, if any. With proper intervention, children with autism can explore a variety of options and find better ways to gain speech and language skills. Some research suggest that, when used in intervention, speech devices have resulted in faster progress in therapy.

Use of AAC with the Verbal Child

AAC devices can be used for children with verbal skills as well. One characteristic of autism is echolalia, or the repetition of heard speech. For children who script or repeat in conversation, an AAC device can assist is helping them to formulate novel utterances and to participate in more meaningful conversational turns. More importantly, use of an AAC device will not prevent your child from using and increasing their verbal skills.

Is AAC Right for My Child?

A speech-language pathologist with a concentration in AAC devices can assist you and your child in determining the appropriate device based on individual needs and skills.

To read about common misconceptions about augmentative and alternative communications, click here.

For more information and resources of AAC devices for autism, check out The Center for AAC and Autism’s website.

Questions to Ask Your Pediatrician When You Suspect a Developmental Delay

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Pediatricians oftentimes only have fifteen to twenty minutes with a child and family during a wellness visit.  Most of that time would bequestions to ask your pediatrician when you expect a developmental delay used to ensure the medical health of the child.  It is imperative that time also be spent on ascertaining information regarding the social, emotional, and behavioral development of the child.  I always recommend that parents bring with them a list of questions that they have regarding their child’s development.

Questions to Ask Your Pediatrician About Your Child’s Development:

  • Ask the doctor questions about his or her language development.   Is the child meeting necessary developmental milestones with regard to his or her speech and language?  Are there any concerns that might be addressed through speech and language therapy? Read more

Infant Feeding Series: How to Transition Your Child from Purees to More Advanced Textures

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It is generally recommended to feed infants pureed foods starting at 6 months old. After a few months of sampling a variety of pureed introducing finger foodsfoods, your child will be ready for other textures. Around 9 months old, your child will develop a “pincer grasp” where they can pick up small objects with their thumb and forefinger. This fine motor skill is acquired around the same time that babies develop the oral motor skill of up-and-down chewing motions. These two skills are both very important and necessary when you think about what your baby needs to do in order to accomplish eating foods that are not pureed.
Therefore, around 9 months is a good time to introduce little finger foods and other soft textured foods. Here are some tips to make the transition:

First and foremost, a few feeding basics:

  •  Always feed your infant in high chair or other belted seat that is pulled up to the kitchen table. Read more

Infant Feeding Series: Starting Solids

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After the first several months of life, your baby is approaching that age when either of one of two scenarios occurs:

1. Baby is practically grabbing the spoon out of your hand when you’re eating and seems so eager to eat some of that!

2. Friends, family members, and even the pediatrician keep asking when you plan to start solids.

What is the right age, what is the right first food, and how exactly do you go from there? This blog covers a plan that is based on research, professional, and personal experience. The important thing is to follow your baby’s lead. It is up to your baby to learn to eat at his or her own pace, not up to you to make them eat.

What is the right age to start solids?

According to the current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the age to consider starting solids is 6 months old. This is later than previous recommendations and probably later than our parents started feeding us foods. There are several reasons why this age is recommended, which include developmental milestones and readiness, digestive system maturity, and long-term studies looking at outcomes of risk for developing issues like food allergies, digestive disorders, obesity, diabetes, etc. In addition to watching the calendar for that 6-month birthday, watch your baby closely for signs of readiness as well.

Here are some things to watch for to make sure your baby is ready to transition to solids (and is more likely to be successful doing so):

  • Baby can sit with minimal support, and has very stable head control. Read more

Early Warning Signs for Communication Disorders

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Do any of these lines sound familiar when discussing your toddler’s communication?

“He’s not talking much yet, but when is he supposed to?”

“I’m not sure he understands everything I say….”

“He kind of has his own language. I mean I can understand him, but others have a hard time, is that typical?”

As a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist, these are some of the most common concerns and questions I hear from new families. Language acquisition and development is a complicated process, for both you and your child. How are you to know what’s typical and what’s not? When are those first words supposed to come? When is he supposed to follow directions? Read more

Helping Your Child Produce the /G/ Sound at Home

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It is common for young children to make certain sound substitutions as their speech and language skills are developing. One example is substituting /t/ for /k/ (e.g. saying “tar” instead of “car”); another is substituting /d/ for /g/ (e.g. saying “do” instead of “go”). By the age of 3, however, most typically-developing children are able to accurately produce the /k/ and /g/ consonant sounds.

If your child is having difficulty with these sounds, first try some tricks to work on the /k/ sound. Once your child has mastered the /k/ sound, she is ready to work on /g/. /k/ and /g/ are considered “cognates,” meaning that they are produced in the same place in the mouth, with the back of the tongue elevating towards the roof of the mouth. However, /k/ is voiceless, meaning it is produced without using your voice, and /g/ is voiced, meaning it is produced with your voice on. Read more

What to Do When a Teacher Notices Concerns About Your Child

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With the new school year well underway, teachers are beginning to gain information regarding their student’s areas of strength and weakness.  Many times teachers are hesitant to bring up concerns to parents.  Also, many parents will want to take a ‘wait and see’ approach in order to help determine whether or not these areas of concern will go away on their own.  Our advice to both parents and teachers is this: Do not wait and act now. 

Advice for teachers regarding bringing up student concerns to parents:

  • Collect anecdotal data to reveal the concern to the parents.
  • Provide the parents with the strategies that have already been tried in the classroom.
  • Provide the parents with specifics as to how the behaviors of interest are impacting the child’s learning or social needs.

Advice for parents regarding handling concerns brought up by teachers:

  •  Do not take the concern as an insult about your parenting or your child.
  • Ask the teacher questions about the frequency and duration of the behaviors.  When are they occurring? Read more

Rhyme Time: 10 Books to Teach your Child Phonological Awareness

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Phonological awareness refers to an understanding of the sounds of language, specifically in reference to distinguishing subtle differences between sounds. Examples of phonological awareness tasks include detecting rhyme and alliteration, deleting sounds (e.g. “say “bat” without the “t”), and identifying sounds in words (e.g. “what’s the first sound you hear in bat?”). Phonological awareness skills develop sequentially during the preschool years and play a vital role in enabling your child to learn to read. In fact, children who struggle with phonological awareness are at risk for challenges with reading and spelling in school.

One of the first phonological awareness skills to develop is detecting and generating rhyming words, which usually emerges in children between the ages of 3 to 4 years. Using children’s books are a great way to expose your child to rhyming patterns. When reading with your child, discuss rhyming patterns by saying something like, “Hat and bat-they rhyme because they sound the same at the end.” Here are 10 top picks for books to encourage phonological awareness. Read more

5 Tips to Help Your Child with Motor Planning

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Does your child have difficulty learning or doing a new or unfamiliar task? Does he appear clumsy or avoid participating in sports or other physical activities? Does he have trouble coming up with new play ideas or knowing how to play with toys? If this sounds familiar, your child might have difficulty with motor planning.  Motor planning is the ability of the brain to conceive of, organize, and carry out a sequence of unfamiliar actions.  If your child needs help with motor planning, read on for 5 helpful tips.

5 Ways to Help Your Child with Motor Planning:

  1. Do activities that are composed of a series of steps (i.e. making a craft, making a sandwich, or creating an obstacle course).  As you do this, help your child identify, plan, and execute the steps to promote the ability to sequence and map actions. Break down the steps to make them more manageable and attainable, which can build self-esteem.
  2.  Determine what aspects of motor planning are a strength for your child (e.g. imitation, following verbal directions, timing, sequencing, coming up with ideas).  Play to these strengths when doing activities with your child to compensate for the areas of difficulty.
  3. Engage your child in activities that involve climbing over, under and around large objects.  For example, playing on playground equipment or coming up with obstacle courses will help your child gain basic knowledge of how to move his body through space.
  4. Encourage your child to come up with an idea for a new activity, or a new way to play with a toy or equipment, to promote motor planning. Read more

Multi-Sensory Activities to Practice Pre-Writing Shapes

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Mastery of the pre-writing shapes is an essential part of a child’s development towards efficient handwriting.

Pre-writing shapes include the following (in order of development):

Pre-writing shape

Approximate age of development
Horizontal lines 2 years
Vertical lines 2.5 years
Circle 3 years
Cross 3.5-4 years
Square 4 years
Diagonal line 4.5 years
Triangle 5 years

Activities to promote appropriate development of pre-writing shapes:

  • Play with Shaving Cream: Cover a surface with shaving cream, and have your child use her index finger to imitate, copy, trace or draw the pre-writing shapes. Try this activity on a vertical plane to add an extra challenge to this activity. For example, write on a mirror or on a tile wall while in the bathtub. By working on a vertical plane, your child uses her shoulder to stabilize the arm movements, creating extra strengthening and increased stability of the arm and shoulder.
  • Finger Paint: Finger painting can be done on a table, easel, or by taping paper to the wall. Have your child cover the paper with paint and then use her fingers to imitate, copy, trace or draw the pre-writing shapes.
  • Use Sand or Rice: Pour a small amount of sand on a table or a plate and have your child create these shapes with her fingers.
  • Use a Chalk Board: Use chalk to create the pre-writing shapes, then use a wet paint brush to trace them. This creates two opportunities to practice! This can be also done without a paintbrush. Instead, dip your child’s finger in water, and then trace the shapes.
  • Play with Play Dough: Use little fingers to mold play dough into various shapes. This can be done by copying a shape, either on top of a shape (imitation) or by memory. This activity also provides an opportunity to address fine motor coordination and strength; have your child pull, pinch, or roll the dough for an extra challenge. A fork and knife can also be used to manipulate the dough while simultaneously addressing feeding skills.

Once the pre-writing shapes are mastered, these same strategies can be used to practice letters! Using a multi-sensory approach to pre-writing shapes increases your child’s awareness, memory and motor learning to learn and maintain these skills. If your child continues to have difficulty with these shapes, please contact a certified occupational therapist.