Symptoms of Autism and its Relationship With Speech and Language & Occupational Therapy (OT)

Autism which is also known as ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social, communication as well as language problems. It’s worth noting that children with autism exhibit different symptoms that tend to vary in regards to severity. The symptoms also tend to be accompanied by other medical problems that may also vary in severity. Below is a discussion of the main symptoms of autism as well as the most effective treatments for those symptoms.

Autism symptoms can be divided into four broad categories namely; social challenges, communication problems, repetitive behaviours as well as physical and mental issues that tend to accompany autism.

Infants tend to be social by nature i.e. they turn towards voices, gaze and sometimes smile at faces etc. Most infants who develop autism have problems having these kinds of social engagements with people by 2-3 months. They tend to have a reduced interest in people. They may also fail to respond to their names by 8-10 months of age. As toddlers, most children with autism have problems playing social games. Unlike typical children, they don’t imitate action. They also prefer playing alone and seem disconnected most of the time.

Children with autism also tend to have communication problems. One of the most common and earliest communication problems is babbling. Children with autism experience significant language delays. They don’t have a fundamental grasp of language until late. However, with treatment such as speech-language therapy, children with autism can learn how to communicate using spoken language.

Autistic individuals also tend to exhibit repetitive behaviours such as; rocking, arranging/rearranging objects, hand-flapping, repeating sounds/words/phrases, jumping, and twirling, etc. In most cases, the repetitive behaviour has a self-stimulating aspect and most individuals with autism get extremely upset when their repetitive behaviour is disrupted. Their repetitive behaviours resemble obsessions.

Autism is linked to many physical and medical issues. For instance, autism is linked to sensory processing problems. Many people with autism have problems processing sensory information i.e. sight, sounds, tastes, smells and/or movement. People with autism also tend to suffer from seizure disorders like epilepsy which is prevalent in approximately 39% of all individuals with autism. Autism also linked to Pica (a tendency to eat non-food items i.e. chalk, clay, dirt etc.). Pica is common among children with autism aged between 18 and 24 months).

Treatment should start with an evaluation by an SLT (speech & language therapist) also referred to as a speech-language pathologist. Evaluation is important to determine the exact language, communication, social skill and behavioural needs of an individual with autism.

Most autism treatment programs include speech-language therapy which incorporates a variety of techniques that address the speech and language challenges (communication symptoms) exhibited by most individuals with autism. Speech-language therapy is a very important part of treating autism since the therapy addresses communication challenges such as; speech difficulties as well as challenges understanding nonverbal cues.

Occupational therapy is another effective therapy for treating/dealing with autism symptoms. OT deals with a combination of physical, cognitive and motor skills. The goal of OT in treating autism is helping individuals with autism gain age-appropriate independence. The social, communication, behavioural, as well as physical/medical symptoms, brought about by autism expose individuals with autism to challenges such as over-dependence on caregivers. OT helps individuals with autism gain useful skills that promote independence i.e. self-care, play/leisure skills. With OT, individuals with autism can finally be able to perform everyday tasks independently.