Speech Builder: Speech Acquisition for Minimally Verbal Autistic Children

Autism Spectrum Conditions affects roughly 1% of children in the English-speaking world. Approximately 50% of those affected by ASC have trouble in developing speech and language. In the absence of other physical or mental conditions, this challenge is typically the result of one or more of the following three possibilities:

1. The child has physical difficulty producing sound
2. The child does not understand the system of language
3. The child does not want to speak (selective mutism)

Of these three issues, the first is both the most fundamental as well as one of the most common: many minimally verbal autistic children do not have the physical control to produce the fine movements of the vocal system required for speech. This course is designed for parents and carers of such children to provide the training necessary to work with these children on a consistent daily basis. It is meant for educational and informative purposes only.

This course was generously supported with funding from the Autism Research Trust. 50% of all profits will go directly to ART to support further research into autism and the development of additional tools and resources.