Speech-Language Therapy for Autism

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 social skills and normal 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.