At present, various techniques are used to obtain pictures of the brain including CAT (computer axial tomography) scans and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans. Several studies have revealed abnormalities in different regions of the brain. The following areas have been highlighted for special attention. Abnormalities in the frontal lobes-areas in the brain responsible for planning and control. Abnormalities in the limbic system-the part of the brain responsible for emotional regulation. Abnormalities in the brain stem and fourth ventricle or in the cerebellum-which governs motor coordination All of which can be helped with proper therapy.
Problems with language The most intensive period of speech and language development is during the first three years of life, a period when the brain is developing and maturing. These skills appear to develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent exposure to the speech and language of others. At the root of this development is the desire to communicate or interact with the world.
The beginning signs of communication occur in the first few days of life when an infant learns that a cry will bring food, comfort, and companionship. Newborns also begin to recognize important sounds such as the sound of their mother's voice. They begin to sort out the speech sounds (phonemes) or building blocks that compose the words of their language. Research has shown that by 6 months of age, most children recognize the basic sounds of their native language.
As the speech mechanism (jaw, lips, tongue, and throat) and voice mature, an infant is able to make controlled sound. This begins in the first few months of life with "cooing," a quiet, pleasant, repetitive vocalization. Usually by 6 months of age an infant babbles or produces repetitive syllables such as "ba, ba, ba" or "da, da, da." Babbling soon turns into a type of nonsense speech called jargon that often has the tone and cadence of human speech but does not contain real words. By the end of their first year, most children have mastered the ability to say a few simple words. Children are most likely unaware of the meaning of their first words, but soon learn the power of those words as others respond to them.
By 18 months of age most children can say 8 to 10 words and, by age 2, are putting words together in crude sentences such as "more milk." During this period children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts. At this age they also engage in representational or pretend play.
The communication problems of autism vary, depending upon the intellectual and social development of the individual. Some autistic children may be unable to speak, whereas others may have rich vocabularies and are able to talk about topics of interest in great depth. Despite this variation, the majority of autistic individuals have little or no problem with pronunciation. Most have difficulty effectively using language. Many also have problems with word and sentence meaning, intonation, and rhythm.
Some autistic individual may repeatedly count from one to five. Others use echolalia, a repetition of something previously heard. One form, immediate echolalia, may occur when the individual repeats the question, "Do you want something to drink?" instead of replying with a "yes" or "no." In another form called delayed echolalia, an individual may say, "Do you want something to drink?" whenever he or she is asking for a drink.
Others may use stock phrases such as, "My name is Tom," to start a conversation, even when speaking with friends or family. Still others may repeat learned scripts such as those heard during television commercials. Some individuals with higher intelligence may be able to speak in depth about topics they are interested in, such as dinosaurs or railroads, but are unable to engage in an interactive conversation on those topics.
Some autistic children do not make eye contact and have poor attention duration. They are often unable to use gestures either as a primary means of communication, as in sign language, or to assist verbal communication, such as pointing to an object they want. Some autistic individuals speak in a high-pitched voice or use robot-like speech. They are often unresponsive to the speech of others and may not respond to their own names. As a result, some are mistakenly thought to have a hearing problem. The correct use of pronouns is also a problem for autistic individuals. For example, if asked, "Are you wearing a red shirt today?" the individual may respond with, "You are wearing a red shirt today," instead of "Yes, I am wearing a red shirt today."
Although alot of autistic children can response to their names hold eye contact....and these are the kids that slip through the cracks. This is why it is called a spectrum as they don't all have the same concrete symptoms and this is very important to remember.
For many autistic children, speech and language develop to an almost normal level of speech. This development is usually uneven. For example, vocabulary development in areas of interest may be accelerated. Many autistic children have good memories for information just heard or seen. Others have musical talents or advanced ability to count and perform mathematical calculations. Approximately 10 percent show "savant" skills or detailed abilities in specific areas such as calendar calculation, musical ability, or math.
At home you can also work on the EXPRESSIVE and RECEPTIVE parts of language with them...
EXPRESSIVE meaning:
Answer question logically e.g. What would you do if you were hungry?
Use words to describe physical state e.g. The boy is tired he has to lie down. He must be very.....tired.
Complete analogies about hypothetical events e.g. What would you do if your clothes gets wet?
Respond to where and who questions e.g where do you sleep? who puts the fire out?
RECEPTIVE meaning:
understanding negatives in sentences e.g. look at all the dogs, show me the dot that is NOT black.
identifies cateogories of object in pictures e.g. show me all the animals, toys, etc.
understanding more and most...who has the most......
understanding spatial concepts under, in back of, next to, in front of etc.
understanding qualitative concepts e.g. show me all the things the look like a square etc.
Communication skills for autistic children differ from the norm, including their thinking process. Children with autism find words too busy, so it's easier to retain information through pictures. Through remembrance of pictures, autistic children are able to understand others and express themselves.
Autistic children learn verbal language by converting text to pictures. While typical thinkers do tasks sequentially, those with autism have a visual style of thinking. Therefore, shapes of pictures and color of pictures play an important role in the way they think. They help autistic children learn a vocabulary that is easier to express.
According to research, individuals with autism think visually because the part of the brain associated with visual tasks is more active. In addition, the language and spatial centers in the cortical regions of the brain are not as synchronized as those without the disorder.
Visual thinking allows children with autism to compensate for spoken and written words. Because their brains function differently, they can better comprehend things by building visuals and memorizing them. They take concepts, which are sensory rather than word based, and compartmentalize them into little details to form a whole picture.
Autistic children can be taught abstract words and ideas through visual concepts, like pictures and objects. For example, if a particular stuffed animal makes a child happy, it would become their visual symbol for the word happy. Bright colors for pictures can stimulate brain activity in the thinking process of autistic children.
Autistic children find it easier to express themselves within a structured environment. Because people with autism think visually, it's important that they are taught using visuals, such as pictures, objects, line drawings, or symbols. Through spatial memory to pictures or objects, people with autism are able to associate the appropriate words and develop communication skills that allow them to function in society.
Echolalia, my views are some speech is better than no speech and echolalia can be used to help promote speech. One of the problems with this boy in the video is that even though he seems very verbal...it's echolalia basically repeating the entire blue's clues movie....but might not able to carry on a one on one conversation with parents and relatives and would want to repeat this action almost for the entire day, if not forced into or directed at another activity "repetitive speech" "repetitive behavior". But the fact that he has a level of speech even though it is repetitive....it makes it easier for his parents and speech therapist to work with him in sessions.
