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Dear Melissa,
My son was recently diagnosed with Autism by a Developmental Pediatrician. The pediatrician recommended several different types of services, but it seems very confusing. Is all of this really necessary? He is only 2!
Forgive me for being blunt, but the short answer is YES!!! Study after study has found that beginning early with intensive services provides the best outcomes. But there are many, many, many different options. For most of us, after a problem has been identified, we simply want to “fix it” as quickly as possible. However, there are no simple “quick fixes” when it comes to Autism. In fact, many adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) argue that they don’t want to be “fixed” at all! As I stated last week, the Autistic brain works in a fabulously different way than what is considered “typical,” and this causes many people with ASD to have wonderful strengths, even above and beyond what is considered “typical.” It is important to find treatment options that work well with your child, your family and your philosophies. This will help your child meet his fullest functional potential while continuing to retain his Autistic gifts.
As stated earlier, there are many different treatment/therapy options. Most of these can be provided in home, daycare, school or clinic settings (depending on your area). Some different interventions for ASD include:
- Occupational Therapy (OT): teaches skills needed for daily living such as dressing, writing, eating, bathing and socializing.
- Speech Therapy (ST): helps to improve both receptive and expressive communication skills. They can also use various types of devices (from very simple to quite complex) to help children with low verbal skills learn to express themselves more effectively.
- Physical Therapy: helps a child with gross motor coordination, which is often affected by ASD.
- Sensory Integration Therapy: helps a person interpret and appropriately handle sensory information such as sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. This therapy is often done in OT sessions.
- Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA): a specialized behavior training technique which breaks tasks down into very small parts and provides immediate rewards for appropriate responses.
- Other types of behavior modification therapy: often completed with a psychologist, ST, OT or teacher trained in various behavior techniques.
- Dietary modifications: typically involves eliminating foods that can negatively impact behavior.
- Medical/pharmacological approaches: this can potentially help with the symptoms of ASD, but no pill can actually “cure” Autism.
- *Complementary and alternative treatments: These can include various supplements, chelation, hyperbarics, etc…
Still confused? Totally understandable! Feel free to seek further advice from your child’s pediatrician. In addition, check out other resources such as your local ASD support group, a pediatric therapist or your child’s preschool teacher.
*An important note about alternative treatments: The CDC reports that approximately one-third of all parents of children with ASD have tried complementary and alternative treatments.
However, 10% of these parents may actually be using potentially harmful treatments. It is important to discuss all treatments, both traditional and non-traditional, with your child’s doctor. Many of the alternative treatments fall under the category of parent thought such as “can’t hurt, worth a try, everyone child is different,” but you definitely don’t want to risk your child’s health with a potentially dangerous intervention.
Local Northwest Arkansas Resources:
Children’s Therapy TEAM, 479-521-8326
ABA Service Providers, TEAM Parent Resource
Arkansas Support Network, 479-927-4100
Other Resources:
American Academy of Pediatrics: Early Intervention
National Institute of Health: Autism Fact Sheet
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: ASD Treatment
Do you have a question you would like me to address in my Weekly Blog?
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