Autism ADHD Doctor Mumbai india Dr SV Kondekar

Stop Testing Before Teaching: Rethinking Approaches to Speech Development in Autism Santosh V Kondekar, MD Professor of Pediatrics Developmental Neuropediatrician  Mumbai, India Abstract Speech delay in autistic children reflects differences in language processing, meaning construction, and communication intent rather than merely delayed verbal output. Despite advances in understanding neurodevelopment, many commonly used teaching practices continue to emphasize performance over comprehension. Techniques such as excessive questioning, forced verbal output, mechanical repetition, premature phonological teaching, persistent prompting, fragmented language instruction, overemphasis on oral motor imitation, and unstructured use of assistive communication tools may unintentionally hinder meaningful language development when used without contextual grounding. This commentary examines these patterns through a neurodevelopmental lens and emphasizes the importance of prioritizing listening, ...