Mr Dino Trakakis explains well the need for pre-linguistic communication skills before trying to teach a young child with autism to speak (“Behavioural treatment better for younger autistic children”; Feb 26).
However, he is incorrect to say speech therapy “targets verbal communication skills such as articulation, syntax and the correct use of language”.
Part of a speech and language therapist’s job is to assess the child’s language development, including whether he has developed pre-language communicative intention.
Speech and language therapists can, and do, develop and provide programmes targeting pre-spoken language skills such as joint attention, shared/interactive play and so on.
Ideally, they would refer to behaviour therapists when they feel the child’s needs are better served in that domain first. As a speech and language therapist working with children on the autism spectrum, I have done so.
It is important, as Mr Trakakis has done, to continue educating families about the fact that spoken language does not arrive in an isolated form, but is instead built on non-verbal foundations.
Suggesting that speech and language therapists handle only the “speaking” part, though, under-represents what the profession offers and also means that parents seek us out when they mistakenly want their autistic child to focus on “speaking”.
However, he is incorrect to say speech therapy “targets verbal communication skills such as articulation, syntax and the correct use of language”.
Part of a speech and language therapist’s job is to assess the child’s language development, including whether he has developed pre-language communicative intention.
Speech and language therapists can, and do, develop and provide programmes targeting pre-spoken language skills such as joint attention, shared/interactive play and so on.
Ideally, they would refer to behaviour therapists when they feel the child’s needs are better served in that domain first. As a speech and language therapist working with children on the autism spectrum, I have done so.
It is important, as Mr Trakakis has done, to continue educating families about the fact that spoken language does not arrive in an isolated form, but is instead built on non-verbal foundations.
Suggesting that speech and language therapists handle only the “speaking” part, though, under-represents what the profession offers and also means that parents seek us out when they mistakenly want their autistic child to focus on “speaking”.
