title: Systemic multimodal approach to speech therapy treatment in autistic children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Conditions in which speech therapy treatment is applied in autistic children are often not in accordance with characteristics of opinions and learning of people with autism. A systemic multimodal approach means motivating autistic people to develop their language speech skill through the procedure which allows reliving of their personal experience according to the contents that are presented in the their natural social environment. This research was aimed at evaluating the efficiency of speech treatment based on the systemic multimodal approach to the work with autistic children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample consisted of 34 children, aged from 8 to 16 years, diagnosed to have different autistic disorders, whose results showed a moderate and severe clinical picture of autism on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. The applied instruments for the evaluation of ability were the Childhood Autism Rating Scale and Ganzberg II test. The study subjects were divided into two groups according to the type of treatment: children who were covered by the continuing treatment and systemic multimodal approach in the treatment, and children who were covered by classical speech treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It is shown that the systemic multimodal approach in teaching autistic children affects the stimulation of communication, socialization, self-service and work as well as that the progress achieved in these areas of functioning was retainable after long time, too.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By applying the systemic multimodal approach when dealing with autistic children and by comparing their achievements on tests applied before, during and after the application of this mode, it has been concluded that certain improvement has been achieved in the functionality within the diagnosed category. The results point to a possible direction in the creation of new methods, plans and programs in dealing with autistic children based on empirical and interactive learning.
authors.affiliation: Primary and Secondary School Centre "Milan Petrovic" with Dormitory, Novi Sad. autizam.mp@gmail.com
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tamas
authors.forename: Slavica
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marković
authors.forename: Vesela
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Milankov
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007808:Language Therapy / Q000379:methods; D012951:Socialization; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013070:Speech Therapy / Q000379:methods*