Speech Language Pathologists Key In Treating Autism

BROWNSVILLE, Tex. -- "Logan" was a nervous boy. He would bite himself whenever he was afraid. As a child with autism, changes frightened him. His biting was increasing because he could not communicate what he was feeling. Speech, the type, most people were used to, was not occurring with Logan. He was a 6-year-old that was totally non-verbal.
The child required constant work on helping him learn how to speak. Logan would make noises, mostly an "eeeee" sound. The question was would Logan ever be able to verbally talk? A speech language pathologist (SLP) was asked to work with Logan twice a week. A plan was developed to help Logan speak. The hope was that he would talk one day. In the meantime, there were other methods to help him speak.
One day, the teacher placed several items in front of the boy to see what Logan liked. Logan kept reaching for red gummy bears, only the red ones. He quickly learned to ask for red gummy bears by handing over an icon of gummy bear. Gradually, other picture icons were introduced to the boy. Logan immediately grasped what was expected of him. The teacher had never seen a child learn so quickly.