Understanding Treatment Options for Autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be defined as a condition that impacts the social behaviours and interactions of those who suffer from it. While this disorder used to be characterized into different sub-categories, Autism spectrum disorder is now seen as the general term for a broad spectrum of symptoms. 

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Also simply referred to as Autism, this disorder is incurable and finding out that your child suffers from it can be a huge shock. This diagnosis can cause uncertainty and fear for parents who must now educate themselves on their child’s unique needs, strengths, and weaknesses. However, several treatment options can help your child adjust, function academically, and navigate life with adaptive skills.

Therapies for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

It is important to know that, as Autism is a wide spectrum disorder, not every treatment might be effective for every child. It might be necessary to evaluate your child’s needs and test out different approaches to find the best option for your child. Some basic types of autism spectrum disorder treatment available include:

Behaviour Therapy

Behaviour therapies, set out by applied behaviour analysis, is a type of therapy that encourages good behaviour and discourages unwanted behaviours. This type of therapy aims to help children with Autism understand the link between their actions and consequences.  They are shown that positive behaviours are often accompanied by good consequences through positive reinforcement, while unwanted behaviours will not be rewarded.  This approach is evidence-based and highly adaptable to the needs of individuals.

Speech-language Therapy

Some children with ASD also struggle with communication. In this case, speech-language therapy can aid in developing their verbal and non-verbal skills. A speech-language therapist can guide your child through various exercises in which they can describe things like feelings, identify different people, etc. Other skills that a speech-language therapist can help your child with is:

• Speech rhythm,
• Sentence structure,
• Vocabulary,
• Eye contact,
• Sign language,
• Hand signals, and
• Communication through pictures.

Sensory integration therapy

People with an autistic disorder may have strange interactions with sensory inputs such as sounds, smells, and lights. When our senses are overwhelmed, we may have difficulty with coordination, focussing, learning or remaining calm. This could lead to outbursts and tantrums or other negative behaviours like self-injury, calling for behavioural interventions and assistance in the long run.

With sensory integration therapy, the main goal is to stabilize someone’s emotions and response to stimulations, usually through play, drawing, physical activity etc.

Occupational therapy

This type of therapy helps children gain the essential skills to navigate everyday life, such as at school. This includes motor skills, feeding, grooming and getting dressed. These sessions are adapted to match the specific needs of each child. In these sessions, children might also learn about assistive devices such as text-to-speech apps for children with reading and writing issues.

Medications

There may be several medical conditions that accompany Autism. This includes digestive issues, bone density problems, aggression, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, hyperactivity disorders, etc. Although there is no specific medication that can treat autism, several medications can treat issues related to Autism symptomatically. These medications fall into the following basic categories:

– Antipsychotics

– Antidepressants

– Stimulants

– Anticonvulsants

For these medications, you must seek the expertise of a professional to ensure that your child gets the correct dose of the appropriate medicines to help treat their unique symptoms to help and Abilify them in their daily lives effectively.

What about alternative treatments?

There are many forms of alternative treatments for autism, and although many of them are not backed by conclusive research, there are those who claim them to be effective. This, again, can have different outcomes for different individuals. Some things might work outstandingly well for one person and have little to no effect on others. 

Some alternative treatments might even harm certain individuals; that is why it is recommended that parents research and consult with doctors before trying alternative therapies. Here are some examples of popular alternative treatments:

– Gluten and Casein-free diets

– Melatonin

– Weighted blankets

– CBD oil

There is a dizzying variety of treatment options for Autism, but when it comes to choosing the best one for your child, you must understand your child’s condition. Since different therapies can help reduce problematic behaviours and social communication skills issues and others deal with sensory intake, motor skills and food sensitivities, choosing the proper medication is essential.

Do your homework, speak with treatment professionals, and ask questions. Keep in mind, however, that you are not limited to one style of therapy. Addressing your child’s specific symptoms and requirements often necessitates a multi-faceted treatment strategy that includes several different types of treatment.