How Has Autism Been Most Effectively Treated?

Autism affects the lives of millions of people. It is a condition that is much better understood now than it was before, which has led to more effective treatments being developed for it. While autism will never go away it can be managed and people who suffer from it can go on to live healthy, happy, normal lives.

It’s worth mentioning that there is an autism spectrum. People who are higher on the spectrum are more likely to need to be cared for in later life, or at least have aspects of their life managed for them.

This post will deep-dive into how autism is treated and what the most effective treatments for:

Applied Behaviour Analysis

One of the most common forms of treatment for autism is applied behaviour analysis. If you are interested in how ABA therapy works, then essentially it involves large amounts of one-on-one therapy with a therapist, in addition to the creation (and supervision) of a regimen specifically tailored to the child receiving treatment. ABA therapy has been shown to be extremely effective, with it being one of the main forms of treatment recommended for children who have been diagnosed with the condition.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Unlike ABA, cognitive behaviour therapy has very specific phases of treatment, already structured. With that said, cognitive behaviour therapy can still be broken down and individualised according to a patient’s needs. It cannot be changed and customised as effectively as ABA therapy can, though. Despite this it is still a very effective form of treatment and is still used by a lot of healthcare professionals, and, like ABA, is one of the healthcare industry’s go-to treatments.

Early Intervention

Early intervention treatment has been shown to be very effective because it is a form of treatment that begins as early as two or three years of age. The reason that it begins so early is that a child’s brain is still forming, and therefore, is more changeable than it would be as a child matures and becomes a teenager. Because their brains are more malleable at this time, it’s easier for healthcare professionals to effectively treat autism, so that the child has the best chance of success later in life. If autism is diagnosed early, then early intervention treatment is nearly always recommended by healthcare professionals, because of the treatment’s efficacy.

School-based Therapies

School-based therapies take place, as you probably can tell, at school. One of the reasons that therapy takes place at school is because children spend a lot of time there. Because autistic children get into routines, having therapy held in their place of education is very easy for them, because they are already used to going there and may also already know their school’s counsellor or therapist. School-based therapy is definitely something that’s worth considering for your child if they suffer from autism.

Joint Attention Therapy

A lot of people who suffer from autism have problems with joint attention. Joint attention is a person’s ability to share a focus on something with another person, for example following somebody else’s finger or gaze to look at something. Joint attention therapy is often utilized in addition to other forms of treatment so that children can develop joint attention skills. If your child is taking part in some kind of autism therapy, then it’s highly probable that they will be given some kind of joint attention therapy treatment. This is so that they can develop all of their social skills and overcome their condition, becoming stronger and more functioning people.

Pharmaceutical Treatment

The use of pharmaceutical drugs is also used in the treatment of autism. There is a wealth of evidence that suggests that pharmaceutical drugs are extremely effective in treating autism, which is why they are often prescribed to people. Usually, drugs are used in combination with autism therapy. If your child suffers from autism and you think that pharmaceutical drugs might help, then it is a very good idea to reach out to your family doctor and ask them if they would consider writing out a prescription for your child. You should never try to administer drugs to your child yourself without a doctor’s permission or recommendation.

Nutritional Therapy

Nutritional therapy is a type of treatment that was very popular in the 1970s and 1980s. It can still be effective today, too. Various studies have found that a carefully planned out nutritional plan can help to improve a person’s nutritional status, intellectual ability, and most importantly, the symptoms of autism. If you are interested in trying out this method of treatment for your child, then it’s a very good idea to consult a trained, professional nutritionist, who specialises in nutritional therapy. Nutritional therapy is something that’s definitely worth considering.

Parent-mediated Therapy

Parent-mediated therapy is a type of treatment, whereby the parent administers treatment sometimes under the supervision of a therapist. More often than not though the parent is taught how to treat their child and then does so of their own accord unsupervised. Parent-mediated therapy is especially effective for children who don’t respond well to being treated by a therapist that they don’t know. Some autistic children have a very hard time interacting with therapists, which is why parent-mediated therapy is recommended. Parent-mediated therapy can also help parents to bond with their children, which can sometimes be difficult for them to do when their child is autistic.

Social Skills Training

Social skills training is a form of treatment that involves improving a child’s social skills and communicative abilities. Social skills training is a very important part of an autistic child’s treatment because it helps them to learn the abilities that they need to function properly in society. If a child is not taught how to interact with other people then no matter how much therapy they get, they will not be able to function in society properly, since communication is one of the hardest things for an autistic child to do successfully and properly.

Autism can be treated, as long as the treatment’s performed by a trained and professional autism therapist. As this article shows, there is a broad range of different types of therapy available to your child. Finding the one that’s right for them is most important. A doctor will help you to do this.