AUTISM
What is Autism?
Autism is a disability characterized by problems with social skills and language development as well as impairments in sensory and motor skills. The severity and specific areas of need vary from child to child, and autism is one of the diagnoses included in the larger category of autism spectrum disorders. The other diagnoses on the autism spectrum include Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD).
Who can diagnose autism?
Developmental pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, child psychologists, and child psychiatrists are all qualified to diagnose a child with autism. These children should also receive assessments from speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists to address the language and motor concerns that are associated with autism.
How can autism be treated?
Children with autism benefit from a multidisciplinary approach encouraging functional communication, developmentally appropriate social and play skills, receptive and expressive language development, feeding, oral motor skills, and speech sound production. It is also imperative to collaborate with parents and teachers to facilitate communication at home and at school.
How are we trained to help?
We have experience and training in implementing programs for children on the autism spectrum including PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), TEACCH (Training and Education of Autistic and related Communication-handicapped Children), Hanen, Floortime, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems including voice output devices, and Michelle Garcia Winner’s social skills curriculum. We are also able to collaborate with other members of your child’s therapy and education team to encourage generalization of skills across multiple environments.
