Why can't autistic children speak?

Question

It just happens to some autistic children. When children are in the autism spectrum, they are either unable to speak or lack verbal skills. Even children with hey can twitch around and make loud and funny noises. They even have pictures to point to in order to give a message.

Answer 1

Autistic children are fascinating.  Many of them are very high functioning and very sensitive.  Often, they can't bear to be touched because the sensation is just too much.  You should just google autism to learn more.  I babysat for an autistic boy for several years. Yes, he had some speech and developmental issues, but he could draw in a way that was stunning!  The movie "Rain Man" with Tom Cruiz is a good movie to watch. There is a very wide spectrum of autism. It's interesting.  Check it out!

Jenny McCarthy's son is autistic.  She even wrote a book.  It's a good book.

Answer 2

Some can. It depends on whether they are non-verbal or not.

Answer 3

You have the wrong perception of children with autism ---some children with autism DO speak and are very verbal.  Autism is a very complex disorder and affects every child different.

Answer 4

People with autism think in pictures,words don't mean the same to them.Although they can SAY words,they don't use words as a means of communication.When my son was very young,he could repeat anything he was asked to say,for example cookie,he could say the word cookie but if he wanted a cookie,he wouldn't walk into the kitchen and say"hey Mom, can I have a cookie" as a typical child might,he would take my hand and put it on the pkg. of cookies.

Answer 5

One controversial theory coming out of Yale is that autistic children can learn to speak, and while faced with overwhelming difficulties can go on to lead relatively normal lives.  It is the children who are diagnosed with autism and mental retardation simultaneously that are most resistant to treatment.

Answer 6

Try telling that to my highly verbal 4 year old autistic daughter!

The majority of people on the Autism Spectrum will learn to speak.  But will still have difficulty with communication.  Communication is significantly more than just speech.

Answer 7

Its called speech apraxia and its a problem with signals from the brain getting mixed up and not getting to their destination which does not allow speech to occur.

Answer 8

There are many different theories as to why kids with ASD don't talk, but the fact of the matter is that no one knows why they can't talk.  Many, if not most, people with ASD do talk, though they may always have problems with communication.  

Sometimes they do make noises, and it is not always true that kids with ASD don't like to be touched.  Each child is different, and you can't make blanket assumptions about them.  Movies like Rain Man are actually about savants, people with extraordinary talents, who make up an extremely small percentage of the population.