Equally daunting: learning about treatment options!
This post, in particular, will be exploring the more "traditional" therapeutic interventions. Alternative, pharmaceutical, and experimental treatments will be discussed in later posts.
As elegantly as Autism Speaks puts it, I couldn't say it better if I tried:
Most parents would welcome a cure for their child, or a therapy that would alleviate all of the symptoms and challenges that make life difficult for them. Just as your child's challenges can't be summed up in one word, they can't be remedied with one therapy. Each challenge must be addressed with an appropriate therapy. No single therapy works for every child. What works for one child may not work for another. What works for one child for a period of time may stop working. Some therapies are supported by research showing their efficacy, while others are not. The skill, experience and style of the therapist are critical to the effectiveness of the intervention.At this point, the autistic child's parents and therapist must decide where to begin.
The relationship with the therapist may be extremely new, with therapy patterns and style generally unestablished; however, as discussed in our previous post, early intervention is key. The sooner treatment begins, the better.
So, naturally, some considerations may be: are the parents willing to begin pharmaceutical (drug) interventions right away? Should a more noninvasive method be applied until the patient/practitioner relationship develops? Or is the family concerned more about their child's chemical intake as a whole? How will a dietary change affect the family, should that be an option? What treatments may interfere with an existing disease and/or treatment? The list, really, could stretch on for pages... I'm sure you see what I'm getting at, though!
In order for any sort of informed decision to be made, the family must, MUST, MUST research.
Let's take a look at a few of the available, traditionally used methods of treatment:
Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA): an interactive, personal therapy option that reinforces progress and strives to correct undesired behaviors; noninvasive, generally used in conjunction with other therapeutic biomedical, physical, dietary, and cognitive interventions; this treatment option is very widely varied, and (in my opinion) either includes, is related to, or has given rise to the following:
Pivotal Response Therapy (PRT)
Verbal Therapy
Floortime (also called the Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-Based Approach, or DIR)
Relationship Development Intervention (RDI)
Training and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH)
Social Communication/Emotional Regulation/Transactional Support (SCERTS)
The Son-Rise Program
Speech-Language Therapy (SLT): generally used for persons with speech, language, and grammar difficulties or deficiencies that may require a different approach than the ones offered in -- although, certainly can be used in conjunction with -- ABA, as well as other therapeutic biomedical, physical, dietary, and cognitive interventions
Occupational Therapy (OT): can be used for many different persons facing challenges in completing basic activities of daily living; in the child with autism, one may expect therapy sessions to focus on things such as learning styles and social interaction; a supplementary therapeutic intervention
Sensory Integration Therapy (SI): focuses on the child's ability to process and interpret sensory information so that activities of daily living can become better established; may be used alone, but is often used along with OT
Physical Therapy (PT): interventions focused on motor skills and mobility to prevent and/or remedy physical, functional limitations; generally used in conjunction with other therapeutic interventions
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): for children with very little or no verbal communication; teaches and allows patients to express themselves using visuals; generally used in conjunction with other therapeutic interventions
Auditory Integration Therapy (AIT): uses techniques developed to retrain a person's auditory system, so that the person may potentially understand information more clearly; the child with autism may benefit from such an intervention, as it may contribute to the progress made by other therapeutic behavioral and cognitive interventions; generally used in conjunction with other therapeutic interventions
Gluten Free, Casein Free Diet (GFCF): a noninvasive, dietary approach that preliminary research is showing to have some positive effect on autistic patients; ideal for families that choose to forego chemical/pharmaceutical options; can be used in conjunction with other therapeutic interventions
For more information, please visit:
We will see you next week!
In the meantime, please be sure to visit RateADrug, search for any and every drug you've ever taken, and take a survey on it (them)! You CAN take as many surveys as you have drugs and/or supplements you've EVER taken!
To do so: search for and select desired prescription drug, supplement, or over-the-counter medication on RateADrug; click "yes" in the bar at the top of the drug page asking if you are taking that specific drug; a new (smaller) window will pop up with five preliminary questions; click "Start Now" and complete full survey; be sure to leave a comment stating if you recommend or do not recommend the treatment in question; an email address IS required, but you may use mine if you do not feel comfortable disclosing your own: nmarchbanks@radpprep2.com; after acknowledging Terms of Use, click "Evaluate Treatment"; on the following page it will ask how you heard about the website: please select "Student Intern" from the drop-down menu; it will ask for an alias, and here you will enter "nmarchbanks" -- this is how the surveys are counted toward my survey count, and the final number is factored into the decision of which intern will receive the scholarship! There is only one scholarship given per cycle! PLEASE DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
Once again, thanks a million for all of the support y'all have given me in this endeavor! It's only week three, but I'm learning a lot already, and I sure hope you are, too!
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