Khaberni - A recent scientific study revealed that continuing speech and language therapies for longer periods can help the vast majority of children with autism spectrum disorder to pronounce their first words, a step that provides new hope for families facing challenges with their children's speech delays.
According to the study, conducted by researchers from Drexel University in Philadelphia and published in 2025 in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, speech and language therapies not only improve communication skills but also enabled two out of every three children with autism to develop spoken language.
The results, according to "The Daily Mail," showed that half of the children who had limited speech were able to progress to integrating words into short phrases, while a third of the non-speaking children showed no significant progress, and half of those with limited speech did not achieve significant improvement.
The researchers attributed this variance to the duration of the treatment more than its intensity, noting that children who underwent treatment for longer periods, ranging from six months to two years, achieved better results compared to those who received intensive treatments for many hours daily but for shorter periods.
The therapeutic programs used included multiple models, among them the Early Start Denver Model, which relies on play and building positive relationships to enhance language, and the TEACCH program that focuses on organization and visual cues, as well as Natural Developmental Behavioral Intervention and Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention.
Dr. Giacomo Vivanti, Associate Professor and Head of Early Detection and Intervention at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute, stated that the results confirm the importance of continuing in linguistic interventions, noting that some children may require more customized treatment plans according to their individual responses.
He added that the children who demonstrated better ability to imitate sounds and movements in early stages had higher chances of linguistic progress, explaining that these non-verbal skills could provide a fundamental base for the development of spoken language later on.
