Improving Speech and Eating Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Oral-motor Program for Home and School

Many treatment programs encourage verbal imitation and production without addressing the oral hypersensitivities that often inhibit the ability to produce verbal language in children with autism spectrum disorders. This guide introduces an oral-motor protocol designed to enhance the child s ability to produce more normal movement patterns. It is accompanied by activities that can be incorporated into the child s daily schedule at home or at school for improved eating and speech development. The suggestions and activities will enable parents and professionals to broaden food varieties in a child s diet, increase a child s ability to accept touch inside and around the mouth, and expand the number of sounds produced by a child.