Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
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We provide bilingual speech and language therapy!
How Pediatric Therapy Can Support Children With Autism
If you’re researching autism or your child already has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis, you may be wondering what kind of support could help. Autism can affect children in different ways, so the right type of therapy depends on the areas where your child needs support.
Children’s Therapy Services of Colorado offers speech therapy, occupational therapy, and ABA therapy for needs related to communication, sensory regulation, daily routines, self-care, play, learning, and other skills. We do not provide autism testing or diagnosis, but our team can help you understand which type of therapy evaluation may be worth exploring.
Therapy Services for Autistic Children
Different therapies focus on different areas of development and daily life. The sections below explain how speech therapy, occupational therapy, and ABA therapy may support specific needs.
How Therapists Coordinate Care
When more than one discipline is involved, therapists can coordinate around shared family priorities while each provider focuses on their own area of expertise. This helps keep care connected while still addressing the specific skills covered by each service.
Speech Therapy
Communication needs can vary widely among autistic children. Some children use spoken language but need support expressing ideas or understanding what others say. Others may communicate using gestures, pictures, or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
Speech therapy may support:
- Expressive and receptive language
- Speech production and clarity
- Functional and social communication
- AAC and other ways of communicating
- Feeding or oral motor needs when appropriate
A speech-language pathologist can work with the communication methods your child already uses and build skills from there.
Occupational Therapy
Everyday activities can place different demands on a child’s sensory, motor, attention, and self-care skills. An autistic child may need more support with some activities while feeling confident and independent in others.
Occupational therapy may address:
- Sensory integration and regulation
- Fine motor and visual-motor skills
- Dressing, eating, and other self-care routines
- Attention and transitions between activities
- Play and school participation
An occupational therapist can focus on the routines or activities that are most challenging for your child at home, school, or in the community.
ABA Therapy
Applied behavior analysis, or ABA therapy, uses observation, individualized goals, and structured practice to support useful skills in everyday life.
ABA therapy may focus on functional communication, daily routines, self-care, play, school preparation, problem-solving, and other skills that are meaningful for the child and family. Goals vary from child to child and are based on individual support needs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Autism Therapy
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No. If you’re unsure where to start, tell us what you’ve been noticing and where your child may need support. Our team can help you understand which pediatric therapy service may be worth exploring.
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During an evaluation, the therapist will learn about your concerns, observe skills related to their area of practice, and consider how those skills affect your child’s daily life. They will explain what they observed, answer your questions, and discuss recommendations.
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Parents and caregivers are an important part of the therapy process. Your child’s therapist can explain their goals, answer questions, and share practical strategies that may help you support those skills during everyday routines at home.
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No. Children’s Therapy Services of Colorado provides pediatric therapy services but does not provide autism testing, diagnostic evaluations, or autism diagnoses. If you’re seeking an autism diagnosis, talk with a qualified healthcare professional who provides diagnostic evaluations.
Our Process
step 01
Phone Consult
During an initial phone consultation, we'll ask what you are noticing during everyday routines. This may include how your child communicates, understands language, produces speech sounds, interacts with others, or manages feeding. The conversation helps the team determine whether a speech-language evaluation may be an appropriate next step.
step 02
Evaluation
A speech-language pathologist reviews your child's case history, parent questionnaire, and current concerns. The evaluation may include standardized measures and play-based or conversational observation.
Depending on the reason for the evaluation, the therapist may look at speech sound production, expressive and receptive language, social communication, fluency, oral motor or feeding skills, literacy, or augmentative and alternative communication needs. Parents and caregivers also share what communication looks like at home, at school, and during daily routines.
step 03
Recommendations
After the evaluation, the therapist explains the findings in plain language. You'll discuss your child's strengths, areas where support may help, and any questions you have about the results. If pediatric speech therapy is recommended, the therapist will outline proposed goals and next steps based on your child's needs.
step 04
Therapy
Sessions follow the goals developed from your child's evaluation and use play-based, evidence-based activities. A session may include practicing speech sounds in words and conversation, building vocabulary or sentence length, following directions, supporting social communication, using an augmentative communication system, or working on feeding skills.
The therapist adjusts activities and practice as your child develops new skills. For families coming from Denver and nearby communities, ongoing clinic sessions take place at our Northglenn office unless another currently available service option applies.
step 05
Progress Checkups
After appointments, your child's therapist provides a brief update about what was practiced and how your child responded. Families may also receive simple strategies to use during play, meals, reading, or other daily routines.
The therapist reviews goals over time and may adjust the treatment plan as your child's needs and progress change. You can also ask questions about what you are noticing outside therapy.
step 06
Graduate from Services
Speech therapy may end when your child has met the agreed-upon goals, no longer needs ongoing support, or another plan is more appropriate. Before services end, the therapist will review your child's progress with you and explain any follow-up recommendations. You can contact the team again if new communication concerns arise.
GET STARTED
Ready to Talk With a Pediatric Therapist?
If you’re looking for support with your child’s communication, daily skills, sensory needs, or everyday routines, contact Children’s Therapy Services of Colorado.
We can talk through what you’ve been noticing and help you understand whether a pediatric therapy evaluation may be a helpful next step.