New Treatment Options For Autism

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterised by impairments in social and communication skills. It is not a single disorder but rather a blanket term for a range of them that are collectively also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It affects over 25 million people around the globe as of 2015 and the number is speculated to have grown in the last few years. The condition is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

At present, there is no cure for autism but there are some treatment options for autism that can be used to lessen its impact on the life of a person. Research has made it clear that early intervention has a massive impact on the effectiveness of the therapy. The intervention should ideally begin as soon as a diagnosis is obtained. Early speech or behavioural interventions can be instrumental in teaching children with autism self-care, social and communication skills.

It is important to keep in mind that every individual with autism has a unique combination of symptoms and faces their own challenges in life, and similarly, there is no one treatment method guaranteed to provide good results with everyone. The overall course of treatment should be based on the individual’s strengths, weaknesses and requirements.

Some of the main treatment options for autism include:

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA): This therapy is based on the principles of behaviour modification to systematically refine a behaviour. ABA basically encourages positive behaviour while discouraging negative, undesirable behaviour. There are several forms of ABA such as Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention (EIBI) for children younger than five years of age. One of the common forms of ABA is discrete trial teaching, in which the taught behaviour is broken down into several small steps, and teaching is done with rewards and prompts for every step. Over time, the prompts and rewards system is faded out.

Speech Therapy: People with autism very often have deficits in communication skills, so speech therapy is one of the most important treatment options for autism. Speech therapy with a speech and language therapist helps to improve an individual’s communication skills. This allows them to better express their own needs and wants. Speech therapy is most effective for children with autism when their pathologist works in coordination with the teachers, families and peers of the child in order to make it easier for the child to communicate naturally.

Physical Therapy: It is used to improve motor skills as well as issues with sensory integration. It particularly helps with those that deal with the ability of a person to feel and be aware of their body in space. This therapeutic treatment also aims to improve an individual’s skills required for everyday activities. Physical therapy works to teach and improve children’s ability to walk, balance, sit, and their general bodily coordination. This therapy is more effective when it’s integrated with an intervention program that includes other methods as well.

These days, many families are trying out new age treatments in autism like stem cell treatment. These sort of treatments are referred to as complementary and alternative medicine. They are generally not unsafe to take, but there are certainly some out there that are dangerous, invasive or disproven by modern scientific research. Thus, it is very important to be aware of the risks associated with any alternative treatments while considering them for a family member with autism. Treatments that offer a cure or recovery should be avoided as there is no evidence to support the claim that autism can be cured.