Black Press staff
A program named Social ABCs is making great strides in helping children within the autism spectrum learn communication skills.
The program develops speech skills through single word (or short) commands, gradually expanding the vocabulary to communicate in more meaningful ways.
Erica Farrell is a physiotherapist on Vancouver Island, whose clientele includes children on the autism spectrum.
She has seen firsthand the benefits of the program.
“Whenever I work with a speech pathologist, I try to incorporate those goals into my programs,” said Farrell, of Child’s Play Physiotherapy. “With the speech-language pathologists that I have worked with, you start with one word - generally a high-interest word - that the child really, really wants to use, for something that they really want. So it’s highly motivating for them to want to say that particular word, and to attach a meaning to it. Once they start with that, they get the idea that words mean something. Then you build on it from there.”
Farrell said building a communication pattern with the child is a key breakthrough in some behavioural challenges when dealing with children within the autism spectrum.
“Teaching a child to be able to use words to express what they want, or what they are feeling, is definitely beneficial in that it leads to a lot less frustration on both the child’s part and the parents’ part.
“Sometimes when children are very frustrated trying to get their message across, then you get all kinds of behaviour problems, simply because they are trying to communicate with you, and you are not understanding it. So if you can give them some words, then you can definitely head off some of those behaviour problems.”
Farrell said that while there is a shortage of speech-language pathologists in the Comox Valley area, the Comox Valley Child Development Association would be a good starting point, for a list of available SLPs in the community.
(Canadian Press video)