Language Development in Autistic Children
Autism affects six out of every 1,000 children born, according to eMedTV.com. Boys are more likely to be autistic than girls, although girls show a more severe disability than boys when affected. Autism affects the child's ability to communicate and interact with society. This can include difficulty with language and empathy. Autism is typically diagnosed around the age of three, although it can be diagnosed earlier in severe cases. Some children are not diagnosed as autistic until they are older if the condition is very mild. Language development in autistic children tends to be very stunted and difficult.
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Causes
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Very little is known about the causes of autism or the language barriers associated with it. There is speculation that it may be due to injury before, during or slightly after birth, although this has yet to be proven. Since there is no concrete cause of the condition, there is no known way to prevent it. It is thought that autism affects the mind's ability to symbolize, which is necessary to place meanings on words and items.
Symptoms
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Language-development difficulties in autistic children are often demonstrated by a lack of communication from the autistic child. This is not usually associated with difficulty in pronouncing words, but rather with the lack of understanding of words. The autistic child may also exhibit difficulty in inflection or sentence structure. There may be a lack of eye contact. This is not the case with all autistic children, and some will show no problems with language development. These autistic children without language-development problems may speak continually about subjects that interest them but show little to no interest in the thoughts or feelings of those around them.
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Language Conditions
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There are a few language conditions found in autistic children that indicate a language disorder in an autistic child who does talk. One such condition is characterized by the child's repeating a phrase or words that have no context, such as a list or counting. There is also a condition called echolalia, where the autistic child repeats whatever has been said to him rather than responding to the statement or question.
Restricted Development
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Most autistic children do achieve some form of language development, while failing to attain or sustain a language skill corresponding to the level of their peers. There may be a continuing difficulty in using correct inflection, or a lack of empathy for the individual with whom they are communicating. This can greatly affect the autistic person's ability to have a career or a supportive friend base.
Speech Therapy
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Once autism is suspected, a doctor may suggest the use of a speech-therapy pathologist. These specialists can help to identify the level of language-development difficulties and develop strategies to encourage development. There is no single form of language-development therapy that has been approved or found to work for autistic children. In order to obtain the best results in speech and language development for autistic children, it is vital for the speech-therapy pathologist to begin a regimen early in the child's life, and tailor the program specifically to that child. The child's caregivers must be active in the speech-therapy process in order to achieve any level of success.
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References
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