Autism Spectrum Disorder

At Expressable, we’ve helped hundreds of autistic children, teens, and adults improve their communication skills. Our unique autism program is evidence-based and neurodiversity-affirming, with daily support and home practice exercises for faster progress.

Autism is a complex, lifelong diagnosis that commonly appears during the early years of childhood. Sometimes called autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it refers to a broad range of developmental conditions and behaviors. Autistic people often have differences and challenges in speech and nonverbal communication, interpersonal relationships, and social interactions. 

In some cases, autism is a major developmental difference that requires significant support. In others, it has only minimal impacts on a person’s life. Autistic people often find it hard to have conversations or express themselves through words, gestures, or facial expressions. They may have trouble picking up on social cues and understanding what people are thinking and feeling. Some autistic people are not verbal and use other methods to communicate. 

This article explains Expressable’s clinical approach to evaluating and treating communication challenges related to autism. In it, you’ll learn how online speech therapy can help autistic individuals improve their communication in a way that’s authentic to them. You can also view our expert guide to autism to learn more about the causes and signs of autism, how autism is diagnosed, and how parents can support their autistic child at home.

1Why is speech therapy important for autistic people?

2How Expressable treats communication challenges in autistic people

3Practice communication strategies at home with the Expressable portal

4Does online speech therapy work for autism?

5What are the benefits of online speech therapy for autism?

6See what people are saying about our speech therapy for autism

7Get matched with a speech therapist today

Why is speech therapy important for autistic people?

Speech therapy is one of the most common therapies recommended for autistic people, for several reasons. First, many young children with autism have speech delays. (Note: A speech delay diagnosis does not mean a child is autistic.) For any child with a communication challenge, whether they are autistic or neurotypical, speech therapy is necessary. The earlier therapy begins, the better their chance of making significant progress in how they communicate.  

Not having the words or ability to communicate clearly can be upsetting, especially for young children. Problems with communication can cause frustration, loneliness, and sometimes tantrums or other “big” behaviors.

Autistic teens and adults can benefit from speech therapy as well. Many receive speech therapy to continue improving their communication skills, particularly their social communication skills. They may want to focus on interpreting facial expressions and body language; having more balanced, back-and-forth conversations; or improving their communication at work.

While each client’s treatment plan is tailored to their goals, the Expressable autism program focuses on:

• Evidence-based techniques for developing clearer communication skills, whether verbally or by other means, so the person can express their wants, needs, thoughts, and feelings

• Supporting the autistic individual’s strengths so they can reach their full potential in a way that’s authentic and affirming to who they are

• Education and empowerment for family members so they can support the person’s growth at home

How Expressable treats communication challenges in autistic people

Online speech therapy: Expressable matches families and adults with a licensed speech therapist trained to evaluate and treat communication disorders related to autism. All therapy is delivered online via face-to-face video conferencing on Zoom. Research has shown that online speech therapy works just as well as in-person therapy. Online speech therapy is convenient, offers wider access to speech therapists, and makes it easier for parents and caregivers to be involved with their child’s care. Caregiver involvement: At Expressable, parent coaching is a key part of our autism program for children. Your child’s age will influence how your speech therapist interacts with them and you during sessions. Sessions for younger children should include a parent or caregiver. That way, you can learn cues and at-home strategies directly from the therapist, and confidently practice with your child throughout the week.

We provide care to neurodivergent people by accepting their differences, focusing on their strengths, and supporting them while they build new skills.

Neurodiversity-affirming: Our approach to speech therapy for autism is strengths-based and neurodiversity affirming. A neurodiversity-affirming speech therapist provides care to neurodivergent people by accepting their differences, focusing on their strengths, and working to support them while building new skills.

People whose brains work differently than what society considers “normal” are considered neurodivergent. They may have differences in communication, learning, social preferences, and behavior. We don’t view neurodivergence as something to be “cured.” We support autistic people in their development of communication skills that feel authentic to them so they can grow and connect with others. 

How we evaluate communication challenges related to autism

Speech therapy for autism begins with an evaluation. Your speech therapist will choose from a variety of standardized or norm-referenced tests for the evaluation. They may conduct assessments such as the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Preschool - 3 (CELF® Preschool - 3); Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, 5th Edition (CELF® - 5), which includes a pragmatics profile; or the Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Test, 3rd Edition (REEL-3). 

Your speech therapist will likely do the following during the evaluation:

• Review the person’s medical history

• Observe the person’s overall verbal and nonverbal communication

• Observe how they interact with items and other people

• Talk with caregivers about any specific concerns

• Determine whether the person’s communication growth is on track or behind

• Provide a professional opinion on whether speech therapy is needed and how often

If speech therapy is recommended, the evaluation results will be used to develop a personalized care plan. Speech therapy for autism is typically recommended at two sessions per week.

Evidence-based strategies to treat communication disorders related to autism

Your speech therapist will help you or your child learn to communicate one step at a time, working through a variety of short-term goals. 

Some clients may work on verbal communication, such as learning to use single words. Others may be ready to focus on using more complex sentences or telling clearer stories in conversation. For some autistic people, speech therapy is centered on social communication skills. Other individuals may not be currently speaking. They may use AAC as an alternative form of communication.

We meet your child where they are, using their interests and motivations to help them grow their communication skills. 

Your speech therapist will work with you to set meaningful goals to help the person learn to communicate as effectively as possible. But no matter the goals, we don’t want a child’s therapy to feel like work! At Expressable, speech therapy for autistic children is child-led and play-based. Building a positive relationship with your child is the foundation for their learning. We meet your child where they are, using their interests and motivations to help them grow their communication skills. 

Many children learn best through play, so your speech therapist will incorporate play into every session. They might use toys or books your child has at home, or fun activities presented on screen. 

Regardless of how fun sessions are, we know that not every child can sit still and look at a screen for 30 minutes! That’s why caregiver involvement during sessions is so important. Research has shown this is especially true for autistic children. During therapy sessions, you can help your child play or interact with the speech therapist, or you can interact with your child while the therapist offers tips and guidance for communication. That way, you’ll learn how to keep practicing with your child at home. After all, while your speech therapist sees your child a few times a week, you’re with them every day. Even the most basic daily routines, like dinnertime or riding in the car, are opportunities to practice speech and language.

Practice communication strategies at home with the Expressable portal

At Expressable, speech therapy doesn’t stop when your session ends. You’ll have ongoing text messaging support so you can ask questions or get tips from your speech therapist between sessions. You’ll also have access to our client portal, which makes it easier to practice communication techniques throughout the week. The more often you practice, the faster you or your child will make progress!

In the portal, you’ll find Learning Paths that explain and reinforce therapy strategies for autism, such as “scaffolding and fading” or understanding social pragmatics:

You can watch videos that show real communication techniques in action, like co-regulation for caregivers and children:

Your speech therapist will assign personalized home practice activities you can do during your everyday routines, such as language expansions and arranging the environment:

Does online speech therapy work for autism?

Multiple studies over several years have shown the effectiveness of online speech therapy. Several systematic reviews of this research have focused on autism. These reviews pull together findings from many research studies, and they’ve found that for autistic individuals and their families, online speech therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy. In some cases, teletherapy works even better. Here are some of the reviews of studies on autism and what they showed:

• Ogourtsova et al. (2023) found that teletherapy interventions for autistic children and youth were often more effective than in-person approaches. Teletherapy was never found to be less effective than in-person intervention.

• Ellison et al. (2021) found that across 55 telehealth studies, the majority had outcomes equal to in-person services.

• Sutherland et al. (2018) found that across 14 studies, speech-language services delivered by telehealth were equivalent to services delivered face-to-face.

• de Nocker and Toolan (2023) found that telepractice interventions work as well as in-person interventions when it comes to language and social communication.

• Akemoglu et al. (2020) found that all studies reported measurable improvements in children’s communication skills and/or parents’ use of strategies to support their children’s communication.

What are the benefits of online speech therapy for autism?

There are lots of reasons people tend to prefer online speech therapy to in-person therapy:

1 Wider access to qualified speech therapists

With online speech therapy, it’s not hard to find a speech therapist who’s experienced in working with autistic children, teens, or adults. You have access to an entire network of speech therapists who are licensed to treat in your state. This is especially beneficial for people who live in more rural areas, or in areas with long waitlists for speech therapy.

2 Convenience and flexibility

Between school, work, other therapy appointments, and everyday life, it can be hard to regularly attend in-person speech therapy sessions. Not only is there the commute time, but most clinics are only open during normal business hours. For many people, that just doesn’t work.

Online speech therapy removes this problem. At Expressable, you can schedule sessions on the days that work best, at the times that are most convenient, including evenings and weekends. 

3 The comfort of home

If you or your child feel shy or uncomfortable when it comes to speech therapy, you’re not alone. Many autistic people might feel unsure in new situations, especially when starting therapy in a new environment. With online speech therapy, doing sessions from the comfort of your own home can put you or your child at ease. You can be right beside your child the whole time. And when the client feels most comfortable,  therapy sessions will be more effective.

One benefit of online therapy for autism is that the speech therapist gets to see the child in their home environment and observe how they interact with family members. The therapist can even incorporate activities, toys, and books that the child enjoys during their sessions.

4 Affordability

In-person speech therapy clinics have many expenses that aren’t directly related to your care, such as rent, utilities, and other operational costs. As with any business, these costs are often passed down to the consumer. The price of speech therapy will vary by provider, but generally, the cost of online speech therapy will be less than an in-person practice—even though you receive the same quality of treatment.

See what people are saying about our speech therapy for autism

We’ve treated hundreds of children, teens, and adults with autism around the country. Our speech therapists consistently earn ratings of 4.9 out of 5 stars from their clients. Here’s just a sampling:

“He has made remarkable progress” Speech therapy has been such a great entity and extremely necessary for my son with autism and expressive receptive disorder. He has made remarkable progress—communicating his needs, improving eye contact, and gaining confidence. [Our speech therapist] Andrea was patient during the virtual sessions, skilled at facilitating the concepts we used, and truly dedicated to my son’s progress. I highly recommend their services to any parent seeking meaningful growth!

“My son with autism has opened up more” Morgan is so patient and amazing. She has been able to get my son with autism to open up more and actually practice his sounds. She is very supportive and knowledgeable!

“My child loves video chat and being in her own space” This is best for my autistic child. She loves video chat and being in her own space. I am also able to participate after work hours.

“My son finally has started to communicate and has motivation to learn more” Cara is the best speech therapist I have seen in the last 18 years. She manages time very well, encouraging the client to get his attention and [providing] new and fun creative activities. Her attention is focused on the client and his learning the entire time. My son, 21 years old, finally has started to communicate, and he has tremendous progress and motivation to learn more and communicate with others.

“She supports me in the process, which enables me to reach my goals” My therapist Christine is so knowledgeable, compassionate and patient. She encourages me to keep doing the practice while following my pace, and supports me in the process, which enables me to make progress and reach my goals. Thank you!!

Get matched with a speech therapist today

We’re here to support you or your child so you can grow in your communication skills. Find the right speech therapist for your needs here.

An important note: We believe that when speaking about any community as a whole, the best approach is to prioritize that community’s voices, needs, and preferences. Within the larger autism community, the current language preference is identity-first (e.g., "autistic child," rather than "child with autism"), which is why we use that language in our content. Expressable is committed to listening to and learning from the populations we serve. If and when their preferences change, we’ll adjust our approach accordingly.