Many treatment programs encourage verbal imitation and production without addressing the oral hypersensitivities that often inhibit the ability to produce verbal language in children with autism spectrum disorders. This guide introduces an oral-motor protocol designed to enhance the child s ability to produce more normal movement patterns. It is accompanied by activities that can be incorporated into the child s daily schedule at home or at school for improved eating and speech development. The suggestions and activities will enable parents and professionals to broaden food varieties in a child s diet, increase a child s ability to accept touch inside and around the mouth, and expand the number of sounds produced by a child.
I am a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Over the past 30 years, I have worked in home-based infant programs, special education centers, clinical settings as well as public and private schools with children with a variety of disabilities and handicapping conditions. Presently, I run a private practice in Rockville and Harwood, Maryland, providing speech-language services to children from birth to age 15. I have worked extensively with children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Motor Speech Disorder, Auditory Processing Disorder and Communication Disorder.
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