Unfortunately, an actual cure for autism, a disabling neurological disorder, has yet to be discovered. Affected children can grow up suffering from speech impairment, difficulties in social interaction, abnormal learning and an inability to enjoy many of life’s experiences which we all take for granted. It has been shown that early diagnosis and intervention can help to minimize the problem and therapies can give the unfortunate patient a certain measure of independence and show him or her how to cope.
There are quite a few options available within a broad range of top notch therapy programs. Treatment is very much dependent on an individual’s needs and most professionals agree that it is best started no later than the age of two. Sometimes a combination of treatments and programs will yield the best results, but it should be known that the condition generally requires treatment for the life of the patient and the caregiver should maintain flexibility of approach.
Generally speaking, treatments and therapy programs can be broken down into four distinct areas – behavioral, supplemental, dietary and medical. Some of these domains represent established programs, while others are still at an experimental stage, and it’s crucial to keep in mind that there are many avenues to pursue as the hunt for a cure continues.
Behavioral therapies primarily utilize modification techniques, to help the patient to acquire specific job skills and to give them the ability to function in their environment. For example, Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, entails the teaching of skill oriented activities. Patients are rewarded as they learn fun skills and their behavior skills develop. This is a highly structured program, with intensive one-on-one interaction between a child and a therapist. This particular type of treatment is usually considered to be the most effective by experts, but many critics still feel that the approach is overly “robotic”, and that it doesn’t really encourage the child to be spontaneous while they’re trying to adapt to the world around them.
Unlike applied behavior analysis techniques, pivotal response therapy is widely though to be much more natural, taking place in a far more comfortable environment, and supporters of this approach truly believe that it can create a ripple effect which progresses on to other behaviors as well, accomplishing a far better overall result.
With supplemental therapies, it seems that many individuals with autism respond quite favorably to sensory stimulation. For instance, patients are often encouraged to grasp objects with a variety of textures, and occasionally, listen to music too. The Tomatis approach utilizes the playing of a loop of music, for several hours each and every day, in the hope of improving the child’s attention and concentration.
Language programs are of the utmost importance. Sometimes a program is introduced enabling patients to interact through the use of visual stimulants, such as pictures, enabling the child to communicate wants and needs through image exchange.
When it comes to dietary therapies, some professionals advocate that children with autism should be placed on special diets, basically casein or gluten free. Studies have shown that a high percentage of children with the affliction suffer from chronic gastrointestinal issues. Gluten, found in wheat products, and casein, found in milk products, are the culprits. Whilst this form of treatment calls for significant dietary control, many other experts caution against its’ effectiveness.
Medical treatments for autism include the use of vaccines and some more, particularly controversial therapies, including chelation, which involves the injection of a form of acid into the blood to remove or improve metabolic functioning. Others advocate the use of antidepressant drugs such as Prozac to treat certain behavior problems associated with autism, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or to help in controlling tantrums.
Autism is diagnosed in approximately one out of every 150 children. It is generally accepted that early diagnosis and intervention is crucial to enable the child to gain social skills, behavior skills and experience a release from isolation.
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