The role of speech therapy in the treatment of children with autism

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Speech therapy in Vietnam is increasingly developing and proves to be an indispensable field to overcome difficulties for special children, including: children with autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD, speech delay, developmental delay. development, deafness or lisp, stuttering..., help children enhance communication ability and language development through fun and interesting lessons.
Based on the ladder of the communication pyramid, children will be assessed on the level of communication and language use, including aspects: phonetics, semantics, grammar, pragmatics... and related difficulties. perspective, thereby building appropriate learning goals for each individual, with the main contents:

1. PROMPT . therapy

Statistically, about 65% of children with autism have Apraxia (Children's Intentional Loss of Speech) - a motor language disorder. Children with voluntary speech loss have difficulty saying sounds, syllables, and words. This is not due to muscle weakness or paralysis, but because the brain has problems planning the movements of the body parts needed to produce speech (like lips, jaw, tongue...) ASHA 2016
PROMPT therapy -Restructuring the oral muscles based on in-depth research on how speech sounds are created, the structure of the apparatus involved in the sound generation system, has effectively supported the treatment of speech disorders, especially when pioneering speech pathologists have successfully established Vietnamese phonemic maps.

2. AAC supports children with communication difficulties

Communication is an instinctive need of every human being and every child has the right to communicate. Impaired communication ability is a clear manifestation of autism, causing great difficulties in children's life and in learning necessary skills. This is also always a top goal in intervention programs. No words, reduced interaction...how will autistic children express their needs, share their thoughts and feelings? AAC – multimedia communication is the most effective tool to help children re-establish communication, especially PECS.
PECS (Pictures Exchange Communication System) is a communication system by exchanging pictures of two authors, Andy Bondy and Lori A.Frost (USA) which has been raised and applied in the US since 1994. Children with autism do not have language yet. Language or language difficulties will use pictures to ask for, express wishes, thoughts, and to understand the communication messages of others.

There is a relationship between IQ and communication tools. This explains why children with autism are better able to learn to communicate through pictures, pictures, and symbols. AAC or PECS does not directly produce speech but develops the skills necessary for learning to speak: attention, initiative, imitation, alternation...

3. Develop core vocabulary and increase initiative in communication

Here, we apply Hanen's methods and language development programs in lessons for special children. Hanen is the world's leading organization in the field of language development for children, with programs such as: Learning language and Loving it, Talk Abity, ABC and Beyond... Children will learn languages ​​through methods , specific strategies to enhance listening comprehension, expression, conversation and basic pre-literacy skills are provided.

4. Speech therapy for deaf children using hearing aids

Children with hearing loss who use hearing aids need speech therapy with a close collaboration between the therapist - family - audiologist. And the AVT (auditory verbal therapy) method has shown the optimal effectiveness in speech therapy for deaf children after wearing hearing aids or implanting cochlear electrodes. When the speech therapist has knowledge of audiology: audiogram, map program of hearing device, we will assist parents to connect with audiologist in the most effective way.
At the Clinic and Educational Psychology Unit of the Vinmec Times City Hospital's Regenerative Medicine Center, Speech Therapy will accompany subjects such as: Psychology, Special Education, Music, Fine Arts , Meditation - yoga to help special children in general and children with autism in particular participate in a comprehensive intervention program with many different methods and contents to achieve the highest effectiveness, helping children to gradually integrate into the world. family and community.
Each family join hands with therapists to bathe their children in an environment rich in social interaction, language and love.

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