AUTISM THERAPIES – which one is “the one”?

Autism therapies attempt to lessen the deficits and abnormal behaviours associated with autism and other autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to increase the quality of life and functional independence of autistic individuals, especially children. Treatment is typically tailored to the child’s needs. Treatments fall into two major categories: educational interventions and medical management.

But, before choosing a therapy to help your child…

…Read! Read! Read!…Get informed. Go search for all the available interventions on the internet. Educate yourself. Research. Before opting for one (or more) therapies, ask yourself:

• if it is SAFE for you child;
• if it “feels right” to you (use – and trust – your intuition too);
• if it is affordable for you and your family – in case, you have to pay for it*

Do not believe in promises that are ‘too good to be true’. Be aware of all possibilities and consequences. It is your child, the most important human being in your life.

Hereunder a list of interventions that have been applied to help ASD-people and their families around the world.

• 1. Applied behavior analysis
• 1.1. Early intensive behavioral intervention (D.T.T. – Discrete Trial Teaching)
• 1.2 Pivotal response therapy
• 1.3 Aversive therapy
• 1.2 Communication Interventions
• 1.2.1 SCERTS
• 1.3 Relationship based, developmental models
• 1.3.1 Relationship Development Intervention
• 1.3.2 Floortime/DIR
• 1.3.3 The P.L.A.Y. Project (or PLAY Project)
• 1.3.4 Son-Rise
• 1.4 TEACCH
• 1.5 Sensory Integration
• 1.6 Massage Therapy
• 1.7 Music
• 1.8 Animal-assisted therapy
• 1.9 Neurofeedback
• 1.10 Patterning
• 1.11 Packing
• 2 Parent mediated interventions
• 3 Medical management
• 3.1 Prescription medication
• 3.2 Dietary supplements
• 3.3 Diets
• 3.4 Chelation therapy
• 3.5 Chiropractic
• 3.6 Craniosacral Therapy
• 3.7 Electroconvulsive therapy
• 3.8 Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
• 3.9 Prosthetics
• 3.10 Stem cell therapy
• 3.11 Alternative Medicine
• 4 Religious interventions

The Table Talk of Martin Luther contains the story of a twelve-year-old boy who may have been severely autistic. According to Luther’s note taker Mathesius, Luther thought the boy was a soulless mass of flesh possessed by the devil and suggested that he be suffocated. In 2003, an autistic boy in Wisconsin suffocated during an exorcism in which he was wrapped in sheets.

Some Pentecostal and charismatic Christians believe that autism is the result of a “generational curse” visited upon a child for the sins of a parent and can be cured through repentance and divine healing.

Ultra orthodox Jewish parents sometimes use spiritual and mystical interventions such as prayers, blessings, recitations of religious text, holy water, amulets, changing the child’s name, and exorcism.[

One study has suggested that spirituality and not religious activities involving the mothers of autistic children were associated with better outcomes for the child.

• 5 Anti-cure perspective

The exact cause of autism is unclear, yet some organizations advocate researching a cure. Some autism rights organizations view autism as a way of life rather than as a disease and thus advocate acceptance over a search for a cure.

* Depending on the country where you live, the state may provide subsidies (partially) to fund the interventions/therapeutical support for a child within the spectrum.

NOTE FROM AUTIMATES: We do note PROMOTE therapies. We INFORM about all the possibilities to improve the quality of life for the children with autism. At the most, we (eventually) RECOMMEND a therapy we followed with success for our children.

Consulted Font: Wikipedia