Is rehabilitation speech therapy indispensable for children with autism. Should it be provided by the Public Health Services?
It is difficult to be dogmatic about the sorts of treatment that should be available for all children with autism, as the condition is so heterogeneous in terms of skills and disabilities. Many children have very good spoken language, and would certainly not need traditional forms of speech therapy. However, social communication is a deficit that, by definition, is found in all children with autism and the emphasis needs to be on devising appropriate interventions to encourage communication at a level that is appropriate for that particular child. This may mean programmes to develop spoken language, but for children who cannot reach this level, programmes that encourage signing, or the use of pictures, symbols, communicating devices, or even objects to communicate can prove very effective.
