SUPPORT OF THE CHILDREN‘S COMMUNICATION INTERACTION UP TO THREE YEARS OF AGE BY GAME-BASED ACTIVITIES AND ITS USE IN SUPPORTIVE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS AND AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Overview

The distinction specific language impairments (SLI) and autism at an early stage of life appears to be important in establishing an indicative prognosis for the further development of communication skills and social interactions for parents and developing a therapeutic and supportive plan for working with the child.

Due to the limited cooperation of very young children, a battery of interaction games has been designed to be performed during the speech therapy session to distinguish between specific language impairments and autistic interaction difficulties. The evaluation of the child’s interactions and reactions was based on observations of the child’s behavior. The game was chosen for small children, who at least interacted, their own communication strategies were difficult to understand for the environment, or the children were passive in socialization.

The battery of structured interaction games was created in 2014 in response to the high number of children indicated for speech therapy who were diagnosed with some form of autism. The aim was to raise awareness of developmental dysphasia and to differentiate it from early childhood AD (under 3 years). It serves as a complementary system for complex differential diagnosis of SLI and PAS by standardized methods. It cannot be used alone, nor is it in the process of standardization and objectification.

Interactive structured games are also suitable as motivational and therapeutic agents.

Keywords:

differential diagnosis – specific language impairments – Autism – structured interaction game