#087: Speech Sound Production and Autistic Learners - A Talk With Tamara Kasper

What is it that develops speech production in our learners? Today, Tamara Kasper, BCBA and SLP, is sharing some really great and specific information on how speech production and reinforcement differs between typical developing children versus children with autism.

Speech Sound Production
In typically developing children, speech sounds are reinforced differentially and automatically when making sounds that sound like words. For example, they get a cookie when they make a sound that sounds like cookie or they get happy, hugging excitement when they say something that sounds like mama or dada. Naturally, typical children are encouraged by the sounds and interactions in their environment and want to match the sounds made by the people they value in their world. This is where self-correction and refinement comes in because they will notice and hear how their sounds may sound different from the adults around them.

In non-typically developing children, specifically those with autism, they are more sensitive to social stimuli and are less likely to be affected by the attention of their parents or guardians in regards to their sounds. So the traditional, automatic reinforcement to make and refine sounds is not occurring. Additionally, these learners will not likely notice how their sounds sound different from those around them, leading to no self-correction as sound production continues.

Therapy for Speech Sound Production
Tamra shares her assessment and criteria for determining readiness for working on speech production. She collects metrics from the VB-MAPP, indicating responses, manding rate and variety, instruction cooperation development, and echoic repertoire. The scores and data from these metrics will relay whether a Natural Environment or Structure Teaching therapy is appropriate for these students. Within these systems, Tamra discusses the programs she uses. She shares today a little bit of her rubric on how she assigns these programs based on the needs of the child and assessment criteria.

If you’d like to learn more about Tamra, you can find out more about her work and some video tips at Northern Speech Services. Additionally, if you’d like access to her therapy rubric discussed today and other resources, you can reach her via email.

#autism #speectherapy

What’s Inside:

• Acquisition of speech production in typical vs non-typical children.
• Do typically developing children shape sounds to match those in their environment?
• How do we know when an autistic learner is ready for speech sound production in therapy?
• Assessment and Criteria for determining therapy training for sound production.
• Training programs for natural environment and structured teaching therapy.

Mentioned In This Episode:

tkasper@centerautism.org
Northern Speech Services
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