One theory regarding autism is that many of the symptoms are the result of problems in the brain integrating language and the senses. “Researchers know that autism is a complex brain disorder that affects the way the brain uses or transmits information. Studies have implicated several causes for the disorder but still more investigation is …
Category Archives: Asperger’s syndrome
Management = Communication Leader
A primary role of management is communicating effectively with your team. Tom is  management at his company. He is working on a deal with a  senior manager and two junior level managers. One of the junior level managers is not performing to expectations. So far Tom has only vented his frustration regarding the poor performance …
I Am Not My Disability
When I see children or adults in my practice what I enjoy the most is building the therapeutic relationship with them. After testing gives me a general idea of their needs, I spend weeks and even months getting to know who they are as a person. It’s part of the therapeutic process, but the best …
Why is my child with ASD still having difficulty with writing?
Recently I received an email about someone on the autism spectrum who had writing difficulties, even after receiving tutoring from Sylvan Learning Center and their schools learning disability center. Part of the reason Sylvan might not work for clients on the autism spectrum is because traditional writing interventions do not address the communication issues inherent …
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A plan to written success
Students with language-based disabilities often struggle with the acquisition of written language skills. Writing is difficult because there is no ability to repair a breakdown in communication which we do so often in in oral speech. If a reader does not understand a person’s writing, there is no opportunity to question or revise. Â When writing …
Stuttering, no …. problems with language formation
Client #1 talking about how to wash the dog “…..will just will just wash off not getting not getting not getting any dirt. Â So put wat.. . so wash so wash water on it first then put soap on.” Stuttering, right? Â This speech problem is actually the result of difficulty with language formulation, and …
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Speech therapy and motherhood
As a speech therapist, becoming a mom has been the second greatest learning experience of my career. Motherhood helped me understand, the far reaching impact of poor verbal expression and the role of speech therapy. It’s not just about whether you acquire vocabulary, but about learning to use language in a flexible way in order …
AANE conference: Functional Implications of Adaptive Behavior Deficits
Functional Implications of Adaptive Behavior Deficits in Higher Functioning ASD’s: Eye Tracking Paradigms to Screen for Infants at Risk for ASD by Celine Saulnier Ph.D ( notes by Kai Long, MS SLP CCC from AANE conference on Current Autism Research) Researchers are looking for a way to screen infants at risks for ASD so they …
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Autism: Lower preference to attend?
Current research: Implication for the Asperger Community, a conference hosted by AANE in March presented quite a few speakers.  The research that struck me as the most relevant to what I see in my practice was given by Nancy Kanwisher, Ph.D. Her presentation was called Attention in Autism: Different Preferences, Not Different Abilities. Her research was intriguing …
Tutoring vs speech language therapy
Recently I worked with client on the autism spectrum who received A-and B’s on his papers at his traditional high school.  In his papers his vocabulary was redundant, he had little sentence variety, and at times the content of his papers mirrored, the model provided so closely that it had little original thought. This student …