Speech Therapy For Autism
Every autistic child is different, so we tailor our therapy to meet the individual needs of each child. We follow their interests and use a strengths-based approach to help them improve their communication skills.
Supporting Neurodivergent Communication
we support children who
Communicate non-verbally (e.g., guiding a caregiver by the hand to request a desired object)
Play with toys in unique or emerging ways
Are developing early speech sounds or have difficulty producing first words
Have difficulty consistently responding to directions
Use echolalia or scripting as part of their communication style
Engage with activities for short periods, especially while interests are emerging
Communicate using single words and are working toward combining words
Have difficulty responding to questions in expected ways
Are developing consistent use of vocabulary and grammatical forms across contexts
Therapy will help your child to
Transform scripting and echolalia into more flexible, self-generated language
Improve understanding of directions and questions
Respond more consistently and appropriately in social interactions
Increase attention and engagement through child-led, motivating approaches
Transition from single-word utterances to more consistent use of 1–2 word combinations
Expand vocabulary and use functional language more consistently across settings
Develop more age-appropriate grammar and sentence structure
Use a variety of functional communication methods (e.g., words, phrases, gestures, signs, AAC)
Contact us at Little Fish Speech Therapy today to discuss if remote speech therapy will be useful for you and your child.
What’s Our Process?
Initial Consultation
You start the process with a complimentary 15-minute initial consultation via phone or videoconference. During this time, you can ask any questions about our therapy process, and we’ll get you set up with all the information you need to begin. We’ll also discuss your child’s unique needs and how we can tailor our approach to best support their growth and development.
Evaluation
During the evaluation, your child will participate in fun, engaging activities that help us understand their communication strengths and needs. After the evaluation, we will provide you with a comprehensive report, a personalized plan of care, and specific recommendations for therapy. This plan will guide our work together to support your child’s growth and development.
Begin Therapy: Speech & DIR Floortime
After the evaluation, you can begin services tailored to your child’s specific needs. Speech therapy is available in 30–60 minute sessions, scheduled 1–2 times per week, while DIR/Floortime is provided in-home for 2–4 hours per day, 3–5 days per week, emphasizing meaningful, relationship-based interactions and developmental progress.
Book a Free Consultation
We invite you to book a call with our lead speech therapist, megan
How Does Speech Therapy Help Children with Autism?
speech therapy for gestalt language processing/echolalia
If your child communicates using delayed echolalia or scripting, it may mean that they are a Gestalt language processor. This means that instead of learning language by using one word at a time, they learn language in “chunks” or pieces. They may repeat something they’ve heard days and even weeks after they heard it. At Little Fish Speech Therapy, we help you determine what their echolalia means and why they use it. Then we use a systematic yet personalized approach to help them change their echolalia into natural original language. Your certified speech therapist will lead several activities for your child to participate in, and explain the techniques used in therapy to you as well.
play-based speech therapy
At Little Fish Speech Therapy, we follow your child’s lead in play, recognizing that children learn best through meaningful, motivating experiences. Play is an essential part of the therapeutic process and is used to support communication and overall development. If your child has difficulty understanding how to play with toys, we will guide you in how to support and expand their play skills. We also use play-based therapy to build early language readiness skills, foundational concepts, and functional communication.
Parent coaching for parents of autistic children
No matter what aspects of language your child may need support with, we will guide you every step of the way. Your sessions will be led by your speech therapist who will help you determine achievable language goals and then teach you how to meet them. Your speech therapist will guide you through the strategies to improve communication, and then teach you how to do the same.
Does My Child Need an Autism Diagnosis to Access Speech therapy?
Your child does not need an autism diagnosis to access speech therapy. At Little Fish, we want your child to flourish and thrive as much as you do. Our aim is to increase communication for any child who’s experiencing difficulty, so that they can understand and be understood by others. To access our therapy process and nurture communication skills, contact us today for a free discovery call.
Book a Free Consultation
We invite you to book a call with our lead speech therapist, megan