Alee Behavioral Healthcare

Children with   autism and related disorders   may struggle in social situations because they tend to experience the world differently than their neurotypical peers. As such, they may not know how to accurately respond to specific social cues that other children seem to understand from an early age.

  Again, the nature of the speech therapy support will vary depending on the individual in question. However, these sessions often include: Learning how to better understand and approach certain emotions. For example, learning how facial expressions express both positive and negative feelings and how we can respond to these non-verbal cues. Learning how to attribute meaning and nuance to non-verbal signs of communication. For example, children may be asked to match facial expressions, gestures, or body language to specific phrases or sayings. This is sometimes achieved through the use of  Social Stories . This technique will help children recognize these social cues, moving forward to better respond to these situations. Learning how to modulate tone of voice to convey emotions. This technique can also be used to understand speech patterns and nuances in conversation, such as sarcasm. Working on making clearer speech sounds or even developing muscles in the mouth or jaw to faci...

  While autism and related disorders impact different individuals in different ways, many individuals with autism develop a special interest.   In fact, one study found that some 75-95% of autistic individuals have a special interest that often begins during childhood but sticks with them throughout their life.   Working to better understand your child’s special interests can help you provide them with support and guidance moving forward. What is a Special Interest? Special interests are best defined as “an intense focus on specific topics.” For example, if given the opportunity, your child may dedicate all their free time to this interest or bring it up in conversation at every opportunity. Why do Children with Autism Develop Special Interests? Various research studies are dedicated to understanding why children with autism may develop special interests. For example, some researchers believe that “young children with autism may experience greater rewards from n...

Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can make it easier for your child to thrive in social situations they may otherwise feel uncomfortable. This is an important duty to handle, especially when you consider the fact that nearly 1 in 3 people with autism are socially isolated. For example, interventive therapies, such as occupational or speech therapy , can help your child develop socially by improving their communication and self-expression skills. As a result, they’re more adept when it comes to navigating social situations and talking to others. Reading social stories can also help your child to better understand social situations ahead of time, especially those that may be overwhelming, such as going to visit the doctor or dentist. By developing their understanding of unfamiliar events ahead of time, they can adequately prepare themselves for what is to come, as opposed to being overwhelmed. However, while it is important that you encourage your child to socialize and make...

  While any Thanksgiving celebration requires careful planning and attention to detail, this is particularly crucial when children with autism or related disorders may be in attendance. After all, while they may love spending more time with their family, holiday parties can be incredibly overstimulating environments, full of loud noises and music. In addition to this, they may feel overwhelmed due to seeing new food on their plates or the fact that their normal routine has been interrupted. With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to plan an autism-friendly Thanksgiving. Lay out a clear plan Children with  autism and related disorders  often like to plan ahead. This is because they can then prepare themselves for any changes to their routine or schedule. One way in which you can achieve this goal is by discussing your plans for Thanksgiving ahead of time, whether you’re visiting family or inviting others into your home. You should let them know: Who is a...

At Alee Behavioral Healthcare, we’re passionate about helping children with autism, and related disorders develop the skills they need to thrive in all aspects of their life — from social interactions to schooling. One way in which we achieve this goal is by offering a wide range of therapy services that target different areas in which they may need support. For example, we use speech therapy to help children with autism develop their communication skills and find their voice. Another effective therapy practice is known as  occupational therapy .