Speech Therapy for Autism
Here at Hope Therapies we meet a lot of families who are at the beginning of their journey with autism. It might be that your child’s nursery or school has mentioned that there are some differences in your child’s development or perhaps you just have an inkling that something is different. Your child might have already been referred for an autism assessment or they have just been diagnosed. You might have already accessed speech therapy and want to find out what else is available.
We support parents at all stages of this journey. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to reach out to us with any concerns you may be having about your child. There’s no such thing as a stupid question when it’s coming from a worried parent.
We're with you every step of the way
Wherever you are on the journey it can be full of conflicting emotions: confusion, denial, joy, acceptance, frustration, etc, etc. One of the great things about working with one of our therapists is that we will walk with you on this journey. We can work with you for as long as you would like and for as long as we feel it is helpful. Not only can we help with speech, language and communication but we can help you navigate the complex world of Special Educational Needs provision and signpost you to the right people to help.
Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy
Our therapists embrace autistic people’s differences and attributes - we will never aim to ‘mask’ atypical behaviour. Some of our therapists are trained to deliver Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT). PACT is an intervention based on rigorous research that demonstrated that children who received PACT showed significant improvements in communication skills, reducing difficulties in social communication, repetitive behaviours and restricted interests. PACT is aimed at children aged 2 - 10 who use sentences or who have little to no words. PACT is a parent-led video feedback intervention and is a highly effective online therapy option. You can read more about it here.
We can come to you
We can also work directly with your child in our clinic, at your home or at your child’s educational setting. Our speech therapists mainly work with children who are under 7. We can focus on the following areas of development:
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Attention and listening skills
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Play skills
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Motivation to communicate
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Social understanding
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Understanding of language
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Expressive communication skills
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Non-verbal communication
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Alternative methods of communication
We will always work closely with you, as parents, and other adults who spend time with your child. Often therapy is about adjusting adult expectations and adapting our interaction styles. We frequently use coaching in our therapy to empower parents to feel confident in supporting their child’s communication.
