Speech Therapy and Autism: Digital Tools Adapted for Children with ASD

Autism: What You Need to Understand to Provide Good Support

Before discussing tools, let's recall the specificities of autism that guide the choice and use of therapeutic supports.

What is ASD?

The autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by two main dimensions:

• Particularities in communication and social interactions: difficulties in initiating or maintaining an exchange, understanding others' intentions, using implicit social codes, sometimes absence or delay of oral language.
• Restricted and repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities: limited but intense interests, rigid routines, stereotyped movements, sensory particularities (hyper or hyposensitivities).

The term "spectrum" highlights the great heterogeneity of profiles. A child with ASD may be completely non-verbal and have a limited intellectual profile; another may have a rich language and above-average intellectual functioning. This heterogeneity requires strictly individualized assessment and support.

The Role of Speech Therapy in Care

The speech therapist intervenes on several complementary axes:

• Oral language: developing verbal production in children with delayed or absent language. Refining understanding in those who have some basics.
• Non-verbal communication: pointing, directed gaze, communicative gestures, facial expressions.
• Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC): pictograms, signs, dedicated applications, for non-verbal or poorly intelligible children.
• Language pragmatics: social use of language, turn-taking, context adaptation, understanding the implicit.
• Social cognition: understanding emotions, intentions, social rules.
• Food oralization: often disrupted in children with ASD, linked to sensory particularities.
• Broader language skills: vocabulary, syntax, narration, written language for older children.

According to HAS recommendations, speech therapy is part of the reference interventions for ASD, to be implemented as early as possible (ideally before age 6), in an intensive manner (1 to 2 sessions per week at a minimum, sometimes more).

Particularities to Consider

Several particularities of ASD functioning influence the choice and use of speech therapy tools:

• Dominant visual thinking: most children with ASD are "visual thinkers." They understand and remember better what they see than what they hear. Visual supports are therefore particularly effective.
• Preference for predictability: clear structures, routines, identifiable sequences are reassuring. Novelty can be anxiety-provoking.
• Sensory particularities: hyper or hyposensitivity to sound, light, touch. To be considered in the choice of supports (sounds, animations, contrasts).
• Restricted but intense interests: can be a powerful motivational lever if integrated into rehabilitation.
• Difficulties with joint attention: less spontaneous than in neurotypical children, needs explicit work.
• Intolerance to error: many children with ASD struggle with making mistakes. Tools that de-dramatize errors (without loud noises, without negative connotation) are valuable.
• Variability in mood and availability: a child who collaborates one day may be completely unavailable the next. Flexibility is essential.

Why Are Digital Tools Well-Suited for ASD?

Digital tools have proven particularly suitable for many children with ASD for several converging reasons.

Specific Contributions of Digital Tools for ASD

• Predictability of functioning: software always responds the same way to the same action. This stability is reassuring.
• The visual nature of the supports: images, animations, pictograms — leverages dominant visual thinking.
• Absence of direct social stakes: interacting with a screen is less anxiety-provoking than interacting with a human. It serves as a gateway to develop social skills later.
• Management of sensory particularities: you can mute the sound, lower the brightness, simplify interfaces.
• Repetition without fatigue: a child with ASD may need to repeat much more than a neurotypical child to anchor learning. Digital tools allow this without tiring the adult.
• Fine adaptation of difficulty: level by level, without a sudden leap that would lead to failure.
• Utilization of interests: thematic applications (animals, trains, dinosaurs) that capture attention through the subject.
• Motivation through immediate rewards: music, animation, badges. Very effective mechanics for this population.
• Fine traceability of progress, allowing for the objectification of changes often not visible to the naked eye.

Limitations and Precautions

Digital tools are not a panacea for children with ASD. Several limitations deserve attention:

• Risk of isolation: if the child is very absorbed by the screen, the tool can become a factor of social withdrawal rather than development.
• Pressure for transitioning to in-person interactions: for social skills and generalization of competencies, the screen is not enough. Real human interactions are necessary.
• Risk of digital stereotypies: some children develop fixations on specific elements (always the same sound, the same sequence), which can hinder learning.
• Hypersensitivities: not all children with ASD tolerate screens, sounds, animations. To be evaluated individually.
• No replacement for comprehensive care: the digital tool is a complement, never the sole modality.

Well integrated into a comprehensive and structured care approach, digital tools bring a lot. Misused in isolation, they can create more problems than they solve.

The Major Categories of Digital Tools for Children with ASD

The offering is currently very dense. Let's distinguish the major categories of tools, each addressing different needs.

1. Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) Tools

These tools are central for non-verbal or poorly intelligible children with ASD. They allow the child to express their needs, emotions, choices, simply by pointing to pictograms or typing words. Synthetic speech can pronounce what the child has selected.

The application MY DICTIONARY from DYNSEO is precisely positioned in this segment. It offers hundreds of pictograms organized by themes (food, emotions, everyday objects, activities, places, people), fully customizable according to the child's specific vocabulary. The speech therapist can adapt the content for each child they support, integrating photos of relatives, household objects, and favorite activities.

Ideally used in conjunction with other AAC approaches (paper PECS, Makaton signs), MY DICTIONARY offers the mobility of digital: the tablet follows the child at school, at home, on outings, which is crucial for the generalization of communication.

Other tools in the segment: Proloquo2Go, TouchChat, Avaz, Snap+Core First. Prices: variable, generally from €50 to €300 for a one-time purchase.

2. Cognitive Stimulation and Learning Support Tools

For verbal children with ASD who have access to learning, cognitive stimulation tools are valuable. They target vocabulary, memory, attention, reasoning, reading, math, in an adaptable playful framework.

The application COCO from DYNSEO offers over 30 adaptive cognitive games for children aged 5 to 10 years. Particularly appreciated by children with ASD for: its predictable structure (same instructions for each game), its clear visual interface, the absence of excessive time pressure, the ability to return to an easy level without shame. Several speech therapists specialized in ASD integrate it into their arsenal.

3. Tools for Working on Emotions and Social Cognition

Children with ASD often have specific difficulties in identifying, naming, understanding emotions, whether their own or those of others. Several digital tools specifically address this area:

• Emotion recognition applications on faces (Emoplay, Look at me, etc.)
• Educational videos on social situations
• Digital social stories
• Tools for identifying one's own emotions

Our emotion thermometer is a free tool that can complement these digital approaches: a simple visual support where the child indicates the intensity of what they feel, which helps to verbalize and diffuse.

4. Structuring and Planning Tools

Children with ASD greatly benefit from visual tools for structuring time: pictogram schedules, activity sequences, visual timers, personalized planning. Several applications offer these features on tablets: iSequences, Choiceworks, Time Timer.

These tools do not replace speech therapy work but facilitate it by stabilizing the framework, reducing anxiety, and making transitions smoother.

5. Tools for Managing Sensory Particularities

For hypersensitive children with ASD, several applications offer calming sensory environments: soft sounds, slow animations, light games, hypnotic videos. To be used judiciously, in complement to therapeutic work.

6. Adapted School Learning Tools

For school-aged children with ASD, several digital tools facilitate academic learning: reading applications (Dys-Vocal, Lire Couleur), math applications with pictograms, writing production with assistance. These tools are often prescribed by the speech therapist in conjunction with the teacher and AESH.

7. Monitoring and Communication Tools Among Professionals

A child with ASD is often followed by several professionals: speech therapist, occupational therapist, psychomotor therapist, psychologist, educator, teacher, AESH. Coherence among these professionals is essential. Several tools facilitate this coordination.

Our speech therapist-family liaison notebook is a free tool, particularly suited for this population, which allows tracking what is worked on in sessions, what is expected at home, and the progress observed. It can be supplemented by other professionals for a comprehensive view.

How to Choose the Right Tools for a Child with ASD?

Given the diversity of offerings, how do you make the right choice for a particular child? Here are some guiding principles.

Start from the Child's Profile

Before choosing a tool, take the time to map out the child's profile:

• What is their oral language level (non-verbal, echolalic, functional, elaborate)?
• What is their overall cognitive level? Their strengths and weaknesses?
• What are their interests? (to be leveraged as motivational levers)
• What are their sensory particularities? (to be respected in the choice of supports)
• What are their non-verbal communication skills?
• How do they react to screens in general? (interested, indifferent, fascinated, refusing)
• What are the priority objectives identified by the multidisciplinary team?

This analysis guides towards the most relevant tools.

Favor Complementarity

Rather than seeking the perfect tool, build a coherent combination of 2-3 tools:

• For a non-verbal child: MY DICTIONARY (AAC) + COCO (cognitive) + visual schedule
• For a verbal child: COCO (cognitive) + emotion tool + liaison notebook
• For a school-aged child: tools adapted to learning + COCO + structuring tool

This balanced combination avoids fatigue and covers several areas in parallel.

Test and Observe Before Committing

All tools offer free trials or demo versions. Take advantage of this to test for 1-2 weeks before any annual commitment:

• Does the child engage with the tool?
• Do they use it independently or do they require constant support?
• Do they maintain their interest over time or do they lose it quickly?
• Does the tool generate pleasure, stress, or indifference?
• Does it create connection (exchanges around the tool) or isolation?

These observations guide the final decision and can surprise compared to initial expectations.

Adapt Over Time

Needs evolve. A tool that is relevant at age 5 may become useless at age 8, and vice versa. Reassess every 6-12 months the relevance of the tools used, and do not hesitate to introduce new supports or abandon those that are no longer useful. It is a dynamic process.

Favor Transmission Among Professionals

The same tool used in speech therapy, at school, at home creates a valuable coherence for the child with ASD, who struggles with breaks. If you choose MY DICTIONARY in therapy, ensure that the pictogram "I am in pain" is the same at school and at home. This coherence requires coordination, but it multiplies effectiveness.

Best practices for using digital tools with children with ASD

Choosing a tool is just one step. Its integration into daily life requires specific precautions for children with ASD.

Frame the use

To avoid pitfalls (excessive fixation, social withdrawal, stereotypies), framing the use is essential:

• Define precise usage times: 15-20 minutes per session, at fixed times of the day. This framework is reassuring and structuring.
• Announce the beginning and end with a clear signal (visual timer, gentle alarm). Transitions are often difficult for children with ASD.
• Do not use as "occupation": the tool should be a means of stimulation and exchange, not a replacement for human attention.
• Avoid using as a systematic reward: this reinforces attachment to the screen and complicates transitions.
• Maintain screen-free moments during the day: essential for overall development.

Support the sessions

Human support during use is crucial. Several principles:

• Stay physically close to the child during the activity, to observe, encourage, support.
• Verbalize what is happening: "you found the picture of the dog", "well done, you finished the game". This verbalization anchors learning.
• Make the connection with reality: "the dog in the game is like the dog at Grandma's". Generalization does not happen spontaneously; it is built explicitly.
• Encourage turn-taking: "your turn, my turn", even in front of a screen. Creates a dynamic of social sharing.
• Avoid taking control: the child must be an active participant. It is better to allow a silent failure than to impose a forced success.
• Value all progress, even tiny ones. For a child with ASD, simply agreeing to try a new tool is already a success.

Adapt to sensory particularities

Hypersensitivities require sometimes fine adjustments:

• Turn off or lower the sound if the child is hyperreactive to auditory stimuli. Many applications remain functional without sound.
• Reduce the screen brightness if it is too intense.
• Filter blue light with specific modes on tablets.
• Choose visually sober applications, without excessive animations, without intrusive advertisements.
• Test different devices: large tablet, compact tablet, computer, smartphone. Some children prefer one over the other.
• Provide headphones if the child is in a noisy environment and sound is necessary.

Work on generalization

The major challenge with children with ASD is generalization: what is learned in one context does not spontaneously transfer to another. Several strategies:

• Multiply the contexts of use of the same tool: practice, school, home, car, outing.
• Involve several people: speech therapist, parents, educational assistant, siblings. The child must be able to use the tool with different partners.
• Bridge to non-digital supports: what has been learned on the tablet should also be worked on with real objects, paper images, concrete situations.
• Play with variations: if the child knows a game well, introduce small progressive modifications to develop flexibility.

Coordinate the stakeholders

A well-supported child with ASD is supported by a whole team. Coordination is crucial:

• Regular synthesis meetings between speech therapist, occupational therapist, psychomotor therapist, psychologist, educator, teacher.
• Consistency of priority objectives over a given period.
• Shared transmission tool: notebook, platform, regular exchanges.
• Involvement of parents as key partners and not as "patients".

To structure this coordination, several tools can help: our speech therapist-family liaison notebook, shared transmission binders, digital coordination platforms in structures (CMPP, SESSAD, day hospital).

Frequently asked questions about speech therapy and digital tools for ASD

To go further

Supporting a child with autism spectrum disorder is a demanding journey that mobilizes many resources. Here are the DYNSEO tools that can assist you:

• MY DICTIONARY : MY DICTIONARY is our alternative and augmented communication application, particularly suited for non-verbal or barely intelligible children with autism spectrum disorder. Customizable pictograms, synthetic speech, organization by categories.
• COCO : COCO offers more than 30 adaptive cognitive games for children aged 5 to 10, perfectly suited for verbal autism spectrum disorder profiles that have access to learning.
• Free DYNSEO tools : our speech therapist-family liaison notebook and our emotion thermometer are valuable for structuring support and working on emotions.
• Online cognitive tests : our ADHD test and our executive functions test can complement the overall assessment, knowing that autism spectrum disorder and ADHD are frequently associated.
• Training for professionals : our Qualiopi training addresses autism spectrum disorders, parental support, and alternative and augmented communication. FIF-PL, DPC, OPCO funding depending on your status.
• DYNSEO related articles : to delve deeper, check out our articles on verbal dyspraxia (often associated), sensory dysoralité (very common in autism spectrum disorder), and our printable speech therapy games to complement digital tools with paper.
• Associations : Autism France, Asperger Aid, Pro Aid Autism, Sesame Autism, Overcoming Autism — all associations that provide information, support, and advocacy for rights.

Supporting a child with autism spectrum disorder means moving forward step by step, respecting their pace, celebrating every progress no matter how small, and never losing sight of the fact that they are first and foremost a child with their personality, talents, and emotions. Well-chosen digital tools can significantly enrich this journey, provided they are integrated into a comprehensive, structured, and human approach. They will never replace the therapeutic relationship, parental attention, or educational patience. But they open new doors, sometimes where traditional approaches have struggled. Whether you are a parent, speech therapist, teacher, or educator, do not hesitate to explore, test, and adapt. Every child with autism spectrum disorder deserves relentless pursuit of the best levers to help them reach their full potential.